Two Vineyards to Explore in Tuscany: Tuscany Day Two
You can’t go to Italy and not drink wine. It’s just not an option. Especially when the region in which you’re staying is called
Chianti.
I mean, come on.
On my recent trip to Tuscany with Tuscany Now, we spend the entirety of our second day there driving to and exploring the region’s best vineyards – and of course, tasting the produce. And oh boy – it didn’t disappoint. Here’s two Tuscan vineyards to definitely check out if you’re in the region!
Marchesi Mazzei
The first is the Mazzei Vineyard at Castello di Fonterutoli, which was around 45 minutes’ drive from Il Cortile Pratolino. Just a word of warning – if you get travel sick, maybe make sure you’re driving or sitting in the front seat for this journey. It felt a
little
bit like a giant and very cruel game of snakes and ladders.
And when you do get there, you might think you’ve ended up in the wrong place. The building does not look like you’d expect it would, for a vineyard that’s been producing wine since the 1400’s. It’s sleek, modern and clean-looking, giving nothing away about the ancient processes which take place beneath it.
Take a tour into the cellars, however, and you’ll discover a different side to the vineyard entirely. Grapes are separated from their stems by gravity alone, and the whole cellar is cooled by a natural stone wall which sweats ominously in the darkness. Spooky.
You can opt for a wine tasting, and we were treated to some of the finest Sangiovese wine that is grown in these parts of Tuscany. From young and mild to old and oaky, it was all delicious (might just be me. Did I mention I like wine?) and we were given a history of each grape and the conditions it needs to grow, as the flavours of the spicy reds warmed our throats. It was lovely to be able to look out into the very valley where the grapes were grown, and to feel the warm breeze which moulded them, as we drank.
Visiting Marchesi Mazzei is a fascinating (and tasty) experience. You can find out more
.
La Tenuta Novella
A sharp contrast to the Marchesi Mazzei is La Tenuta Novella - which is a small and traditional vineyard lovingly run by a young married couple. The production of wine here is much smaller, with all of the barrels being stored in a medium-sized barn (where they stay from 12-18 months!). Like Marchesi Mazzei, La Tenuta Novella also produces Chianti Classico, but the smaller scale meant that this vineyard feels like a real labour of love – the passion of the winemakers really shines through not only in the wine, but how they talk about their daily work.
Their philosophy is that the wine and olive oil production process should be as natural as possible – they don’t use any pesticides or chemical fertilisers. It’s an amazing thing to witness, and the views out over San Polo are a bonus. You can take tours around the vineyard all year long upon request – find out more about the vineyard
.
I probably don’t need to tell you we were sad to leave Tuscany. Looking out at sprawling miles of vines stirred by a warm breeze, tasting that breeze in the very wine in my hand, I felt confident I’d found my very own slice of the good life.
