Tuscan is located in west-central Italy and includes the cities of Florence, Siena and Pisa. It is also the birthplace of the Italian renaissance. Wine production in Tuscan started before the rise of the Roman Empire and is believed to have begun in the 5th century BC.
Most of Tuscan’s top wine regions produce red wine, but that’s not to say that white wines aren’t produced. But more than 80% of Tuscan wines are red.
While Tuscany is comprised of more than 40 sub-regions, it’s best known for the regions of Chianti (Italy’s first official wine region created in 1716), Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. And, the grape of Tuscan is Sangiovese.
The best examples of Chianti come from the Chianti Classico zone, which was awarded a separate status in 1996. Many of the Chianti Classico wines are marked by the black cockerel (Gallo Nero) logo. However, bottles sold in the US are not always so marked.
Originally, the wines of Chianti were required to use both red and white wine grapes. But today, Chianti Classico wines must simply contain a minimum of 80 percent of the Sangiovese variety. The remainder can be made from native grapes such as Canaiolo or Colorino. There are three levels of Chianti Classico wines - Annata (the most basic wines), Riserva and Gran Selezione. Riserva wines must be aged for 24 months while Gran Selezione must be entirely made from a single estate and aged for 30 months.
Brunello di Montalcino is another of Italy's most famous and prestigious wines. All Brunello di Montalcino wines are made exclusively from 100% Sangiovese that is grown on the slopes around Montalcino which is located just south of Siena. Brunello must be aged for at least four years while the Riserva must be aged for five years. Two of these years must be spent in oak, and the wine must spend a minimum of four months in the bottle prior to being released.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is located southeast of Siena in southeastern Tuscany. Wines of this region must be at least 70 percent Sangiovese. Other local varieties can be used for the remaining 30 percent and up to 5% may be white varieties such as Malvasia. The aging period for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a minimum of 24 months while the Riserva wines must have a minimum of 36 months of aging with at least 12 months in oak barrels.