Tuscany!
by Arnie Millan

Perhaps the warm soul of Italy is reflected best in the Center of Italy; most certainly in Tuscany. Tuscany personifies the essence of the Italian spirit. We think of its romantic, rolling cypress-shaded hillsides, its olive groves, red-tiled roofs, its cuisine, fabulous art and architecture and, of course, its vineyards.

Tuscany was the capital of one of Italy’s most ancient civilizations, the Etruscans. The Etruscans were conquering lands, conspiring with the ancient Phoenicians against the ancient Greeks, and making wine long before the birth of Rome. Eventually their society was absorbed by Roman civilization and language but they left a lasting impact on Italic culture.

Today, Tuscany is a byword for Italian wine. Many of Italy’s most famous wines, Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vernaccia come from Tuscany. Chianti is made mostly from Sangiovese and you should think of Chianti as a wine zone – one of the earliest delimited wine regions (1716 by Cosimo Medici III). Chianti itself is sub-divided into seven regions, the most famous of which is the Chianti Classico region between Florence and Siena; followed by the Chianti Rufina zone just east of Florence, and the Colli Sinesi (the hills around Siena). Cheap, light Chianti is best served slightly chilled from straw basket flasks called fiascos. They cannot be stored on their side and they are best tasted young. More serious, age-worthy Chianti is sold in Bordeaux styled bottles; the best Classico and Rufina riservas can age for many years. One note: on the neck of many Chianti Classico wines, you may find the seal of the black rooster. This indicates the producer is a member of the Black Rooster Consortium, which had been an indication of a quality producer but not all great producers, like Fattoria Felsina, belong to it.

Good, quaffable Chianti can be purchased between $7 to $20 a bottle. Riservas can cost up to $60 per bottle. As with many imported wines, follow the quality importer. I like importers such as Vias, Winebow/Leonardo Locascio, Niel Empson, Vin di Vino, Kobrand, Vinifera and Paterno.

Beyond Chianti is another universe of great Tuscan wine. Brunello di Montalcino has been renowned since its inception in the late 19th century. It is a wine that is based solely on the Sangiovese Grosso grape, a small-berried Sangiovese clone. It is aged for at least two years in oak and is capable of ageing for many years in bottle. Good Brunello begins at $30 per bottle on up to $150. A less expensive alternative is Rosso di Montalcino; same grape, less oak. Many fine producers include Banfi, Altesino, Valdicava, and so many others that you may best check on the same importers mentioned earlier.

The same grape, known locally as Prugnolo, is the basis for the Vino Nobile di Montelpulciano. It is usually less tannic and oaky than Brunello di Montalcino and less expensive. Again, the Rosso di Montelpulciano is even less costly. Good producers are Poliziano, Avignonese and Nottola.

Wines known as Super Tuscan have been getting great press for over 20 years, so what are they? They started out during the 1970’s, Antinori was a pioneer with his Tignanello. The wines were a reaction to the very restrictive wines laws in Tuscany restricting which grapes, and what percentages of them, were permissible for producers to receive a quality endorsement for their wine so that they might not be called simply Vino di Tavola (table wine), the lowest quality category. Producers knew they produce great wine if they could add Cabernet or Merlot to their blends or produce a wine that was a single grape wine. They helped create a new wine category, IGT or Indicazione Geografica Tipica. Soon Antinori, Ornellaia and Sassicaia were making stunning wines, winning worldwide acclaim, and commanding stratospheric prices. Thus the Super Tuscan was born. You can now buy Super Tuscans from $10 to $300 per bottle. One of my favorite values is Aia Vecchia’s La Lagone, a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which costs $15.

Not all Tuscans are red. Check out Vernaccia di San Gimignano, from the fabled, hill top village of medieval towers. It is a delightful, crisp white which can be found under $9 per bottle.

Finally, we cannot ignore Tuscany’s great dessert wine, Vin Santo. Vin Santo means “holy wine” but it may not have been used as a sacramental beverage. It is made from Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes, sometimes with Sangiovese or Grechetto, which are dried and then crushed when their sugars ripen enough. They are then fermented and aged in wax-sealed oak barrels for 3-6 years and then bottled. They are somewhat oxidized, with an amber color and can be sweet (most common) or drier. Vin Santo is a marvelous companion to Tuscany’s delicious biscotti.

About Arnie Millan

Arnie has been a wine aficionado for nearly thirty years. During his first visit to France in 1973, Arnie toured several French vineyards and began to learn about wine from wine merchants and collectors. Arnie has been consulting to restaurants about wine since 1987. In 1997, he opened his own award-winning restaurant, Avenue One, in Seattle. Arnie is a Sommelier certified by the International Guild of Sommeliers. He recently appeared in the video, "Wineworks: The Complete Video Guide to Wine," available in selected wine shops and book stores. Arnie speaks fluent French and German. Arnie frequently teaches wine classes and conducts wine dinners and tasting parties, both public and private. He also consults for restaurants and private collectors/clients on the West Coast. Arnie is also conducting tastings for a division of Robert Mondavi wines.   You may contact Arnie at: finedining7@hotmail.com or by phone at 206-612-6547.