Tuscany is a world famous wine region, whose historic links to the cultivation and development of viticulture can be traced back to Etruscan and Roman times. If Piedmont can be considered Italy’s Burgundy, Tuscany is its Bordeaux.
The alternating of hills, valleys and the Mediterranean coastline of Tuscany, is ideal for grape growing. The most grown variety is the noble Sangiovese, which is often combined with small amounts of locally grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and other grapes into wonderful blends such as the Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino di Scansano, Carmignano and, of course, the worldwide known Chianti. In addition to the great, well-known and appreciated reds, the local production includes a few distinguishable whites; without doubt the most notable among them being the Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
Along the production of Protected Denomination of Origin wines, Tuscany is worldwide famous for its production of fine wines which stand outside the rules of the PDO regulation: the Supertuscans. These wines were developed in the 70s and 80s using both indigenous grape (e.g. Sangiovese) as well as international ones (Cabernet Sauvignon on top) and their producers, with their big investments in both fields and cellar, gave new directions toward the production of quality wines and contributed to the success of Italian wine production abroad.