Tuscany [TUHS-kuh-nee] | Wine Terms

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Tuscany
[TUHS-kuh-nee]

A region in central Italy, east of the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea; its capital city is Florence. Tuscany (Toscana in Italian) has almost 160,000 vineyard acres and six DOCGs: BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO, CARMIGNANO, CHIANTI, CHIANTI CLASSICO, VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO, and VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO, all of which are red-wine areas. The area also comprises numerous DOCs including CORTONA, ELBA, MONTECARLO, MONTEREGIO DI MASS MARITTIMA, MORELLINO DI SCANSANO, MOSCADELLO DI MONTALCINO, POMINO, ROSSO DI MONTALCINO, ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO, and VAL DI CORNIA. For centuries, Tuscany has been producing its famous CHIANTI wine; it’s also well known for its VIN SANTO. And this area is also at the vanguard of producing superlative wines that break the rules by using unapproved winemaking methods, grape VARIETIES, or percentage of varieties. These exceptional wines—known as SUPER TUSCANS—haven’t been given Italy’s approved wine categories of DOC or DOCG, so must be labled VINO DA TAVOLA (TABLE WINE). Thanks to the success of these super Tuscan wines, Italy’s wine laws are changing, and grapes like CABERNET FRANC, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, and MERLOT are now being approved for some DOC areas. The dominant red grape grown in Tuscany is SANGIOVESE, but Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot are also important. CANAIOLO, which historically played a meaningful role in Chianti production, is diminishing in importance. Tuscany’s most important white grape is TREBBIANO. Other white grapes include MALVASIA, VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO, CHARDONNAY, GRECHETTO, Pinot Gigio (PINOT GRIS), Pinot Bianco (PINOT BLANC), SAUVIGNON BLANC, and VERMENTINO.

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