The Wonderful Wines of Tuscany or Toscana
The Wines of Tuscany
The wonderful wines of Tuscany or Toscana come from my favorite wine region in the world. Also, Italy is my favorite wine producing country, because Italy produces more varietals than all other countries combined. Tuscany is the American name and Toscana is the Italian name. It is a beautiful region dotted with hills and medieval towns on top, therefore driving through the region is a must. In the same day, you can visit the towns of Montepulciano, Pienza and Montalcino. Lunch and dinner reservations are a must in Europe. I suggest planning a morning wine tasting in Montepulciano, a light lunch in Pienza and a wine dinner in Montalcino. Also, Tuscany has a large coastline with beaches and the leaning tower. Unfortunately, Pisa is a slum and not worth the drive. But, it is definitely worth going to the coast for a day, and go to the beach and reserve your meals.
Chianti and Its Sub-Regions
Chianti is one of the most popular wines in the world, yet few people know the primary grape that makes it. This is common among European wines, since they usually name their wines after the regions from which they are made. Sangiovese is the primary grape in Tuscany. Some are still made with straw bottoms. See the map key below for the regions of Chianti.
- Wines in the yellow areas are named just Chianti if they are not part of any sub-region.
- Wines in the green areas are Chianti Colli Fiorentini near Florence or Firenze. Also, see Chianti Colli Senesi near Siena, and Chianti Colli Pisane near Pisa.
- Chianti Classico is the red region that lies between Firenze and Siena.
- Chianti Rufina is in the pink area in the northeast. Cabernet sauvignon is blended into their wines giving it a unique flavor that has been done for generations.
Chianti Wines from Tuscany or Toscana
Opici 
Piccini 
Fonterutoli 
Nipozzano
More Wines from Tuscany
Tuscany is loaded with different wines as is Italy. Here are four more delicious examples. You can visit the towns of San Gimignano and Siena in the same day. Book a morning tour and tasting in San Gimignano. I suggest Fattoria il Palagio which is owned by Sting and his wife, and do not leave Tuscany without trying their Vernaccia! Then, go inside the town of the bell towers for lunch by reservation only, and be at the medieval town of Siena before dark to walk around and have dinner.
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made from a grape called prugnolo gentile. It is a small area in orange in the southeast.
- Carmignano is similar to Chianti Rufina. It is in a small orange area in the north.
- Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the premier white wine of Tuscany. This in in the pink area in the center. Try it!
- Maremma and Morellino di Scansano and others are near the coast and are made primarily from sangiovese and similar to Chianti.
Piccini 
Terre a Mano 
Fattoria San Donato 
Arcere
The Best of Tuscany or Toscana
In addition to all the great, affordable wines above, Tuscany has some of the world’s best. And, they come with a price tag. The best way to taste them is to book a seven course wine dinner at a nice winery like Castello Banfi. You can stay the night there as well, and the same is true for Bolgheri. I know of a couple excellent villas you can rent as well, so contact me.
- Surrounding the town of Montalcino is one of the world’s best reds. Brunello di Montalcino, or just Brunello is in the red area of the map. It is made from the thicker skinned sangiovese grosso grape.
- The Bolgheri region in red on the coast makes blended wines using traditional grapes like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and more.
- Also, throughout Tuscany many producers of Chianti make a dessert wine called Vin Santo or holy wine. Enjoy it after dinner or when company comes knocking with biscotti. If you like dessert wines, then try this one.
Castello Banfi 
Guado al Tasso 
Sassicaia 
Avignonesi
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Nice piece. Just one note on the Vino Nobile de Montepulciano paragraph, prugnolo gentile Is the local name for Sangiovese.
Thanks for sharing this rapid fire tour of Tuscany – also my favorite wine region. Brunello producers worth visiting include Altesino and Poggio Antico (the winery also has an excellent restaurant).
Hi Jamie. Sorry I didn’t reply to this sooner. I thought I mentioned Prugnolo Gentile. I learned when I was there at Avignonesi for a tasting that it is a clone of the Sangiovese grape. Do you have different info on it? As for Brunello, I visited Castello Banfi. I am friends with Cristina Mariani-May, CEO of Banfi Wines. I met her parents while having a wine dinner there. They were dining at the table next to us. I met Cristina at an annual wine expo in Philly. Also, I am acquainted with Lamberto Frescobaldi of Castel Giocondo in Montalcino. I met him at a Frescobaldi wine dinner in Philly. Small world. Thanks for the compliment. I can talk Italy and Italian wines all day long!!! I heard Biondi Santi is the one to taste that falls under the radar. Frank
Hi Frank,
You did mention Prugnolo Gentile, and it is a clone of Sangiovese. I was just commenting that the grape is still Sangiovese ‘as the collective name for all biotypes and clones of the grape.’ Sangiovese is such an interesting and complex grape, with at least 2 biotypes and 70 clones (one clone I believe is named after Banfi), each adapted to its growing site and will different characteristics. I’m certainly no expert, and the more I learn about Sangiovese the more I find there is to learn. But then, that’s what makes wine, and Sangiovese, so interesting – plus the drinking!
Biondi Santi is definitely under the radar and one to taste. It was Biondi Santi who planted the first Sangiovese Grosso on Monalcino Hill in the early 19th Century that created the Brunello we know today. So definitely worth visiting and tasting, even if only for the history.
I love meeting winemakers and visiting their wineries. I’ve also visited Poggio Antico and Altesino, both of who produce fabulous Brunellos. I also recommend Sangiovese from Poggio Ai Chiari (near Chiusi), their Colle Santa Mustiola Toscana Rosso is a blend of 28 clones of Sangiovese that give the wine great depth, each clone imparting a different characteristic. The winery ages their wines for a very long time before release and their 06, 07, 08 and 09s are currently in the market in the US.
Wow! Thanks for the info! I would love to buy a bottle of the Santa Mustiola. I will look forward to tasting it. You are more knowledgable than the average member. I would love to share wine and wine experiences with you. Do you blog or do any work with wine? Email me at frank@howtopickawine.com. Salute! And Cento anni!