Wine Vocabulary
What is the Vin Santo’s ‘Madre’?
The ‘Madre’ (“Mother” in Italian) is a thick deposit of wine-soaked lees and yeast cells left at the bottom of the Caratello (ancient barrels used to make Vin Santo in Tuscany) when racked…
Q & A
Vin Santo vs. Vino Santo, what is the difference?
It should be emphasized that Tuscany’s Vin Santo and Trentino’s Vino Santo are two distinct wines.
Aside from being produced in two different Italian wine areas…
Q & A
What are the different Biotypes of the Sangiovese grape variety
Sangiovese has several plausible origins. Because of its color, it is traditionally associated with “Jupiter’s Blood” (translated in latin as ‘Sanguis Jovis’).
Given the considerable intra-varietal variability, there are many different biotypes…
Q & A
What is Maremma?
Maremma is a major historical and geographical territory shared by Tuscany and Lazio. The boundaries are roughly and historically defined as the coastal territory extending from the south of Livorno in Tuscany to the northern section of Lazio in the province of Viterbo…
Wine History
From the Abolishment of the Mezzadria to the birth of the DOC System: A plunge in the origins of Super Tuscans
After World War II, Tuscan wines underwent a radical change. In fact, the Tuscan vineyards had just emerged from the phylloxera crisis, totally destroyed economically.
However, a number of changes would prove to herald a complete renaissance of this prestigious wine region and give birth to exceptional wines that the wine world would soon nickname the ‘Super Tuscans’…
Wine Tourism
Wine Tourism in Carema: The Sentieri dei Vigneti
The terraced vineyards of Carema can be visited along a 4 km loop trail called ‘Sentieri dei Vigneti’ marked by yellow signs. The path proceeds between stone walls, mountain cliffs and small roads running alongside the vineyards…
Q & A
What is ‘Coltura Promiscua’
Coltura Promiscua’ or ‘Coltura Mista’ is an association of crops, trees, vines and cereals for varied production. It is an ancient practice in Northern Italy, particularly from the Middle Ages to the 18th century…
Wine Education
About the Ancient Wine Families in Tuscany
Some of Florence’s most notable noble families have a lengthy history of producing wine.
The Ricasoli began manufacturing and selling wine…
Wine Education
Understanding The Tuscan ‘Bando’
In 1716, the Grand Duke of Toscana, Cosimo III de’ Medici, issued a historical edict to protect Tuscan wines.
The ‘Bando’ (edict) legally established the geographical limits of four prominent winegrowing regions: Chianti, Pomino, Carmignano, and Val d’Arno di Sopra…
New World
Chile’s Flagship Wine Grape Variety: Carménère
Despite only having 2.7% of the world’s vineyard surface area, Chile is a wine powerhouse and the largest wine-producing country in South America. Chile ranks sixth after Italy, France, Spain, Australia and the USA.
With nearly twenty million inhabitants, the narrow country between the Andes Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean is an avid wine consumer. However…