Areas
Tuscany & the Tuscan Coast
Many foreigners find it difficult to pinpoint Italy’s exact location on a global map.
Things improve slightly among wine enthusiasts, and when Tuscany is mentioned, people have a fairly clear picture. The first substantial documentation of Tuscan wine trade dates back to the late 1300s with the Datini archives. Since then, the reputation of Chianti wines, and Central Tuscany in general, has steadily grown.
When discussing Tuscan wine today, the benchmark for quality remains Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Nobile di Montepulciano. More knowledgeable wine lovers will also recognize smaller areas like Carmignano, Rùfina, Pomino, and Valdarno di Sopra. These areas boast an inclusion in the 1716 edict issued by Cosimo III de’ Medici, which stands as the world’s very first example of a legally delimited and controlled designation of origin.
The historical winemaking tradition of Tuscany is rooted in these regions—Chianti Classico, Brunello, Nobile—a tradition that is by no means static, but constantly evolving in pursuit of ever-more precise territorial definitions, as seen with the UGAs in Chianti Classico or the Pievi in Montepulciano.
Alongside this historical, landlocked Tuscany, a new winemaking reality has emerged in recent decades. Driven by a strong spirit of innovation and a quest to explore diversity, this movement has established itself within a distinct territory blessed with unique, unrepeatable properties: the Tuscan Coast.
It is no coincidence that the region’s two main Indicazioni Geografiche Tipiche are precisely IGT Toscana and IGT Costa Toscana.
The Tuscan Coast
Sea, sun, rivers, and wind: we are looking at a truly integrated system that takes on a unique value along the Tuscan Coast, unmatched anywhere else in the region. It is no coincidence that this area produces some of the world’s most famous red wines, alongside white wines boasting an unparalleled territorial imprint.
The mirror-like surface of the sea—the Ligurian down to Piombino, and the Tyrrhenian down to Capalbio—reflects sunlight onto the vineyards. Furthermore, the orographic layout of the Coast adds another layer of complexity to these phenomena: the sea is not the only key element, as a significant share of the climatic profile is driven by rivers. While the sea generates summer breezes that cool the grapes—which are illuminated by day by the sun’s reflection on the water—the rivers flow perpendicular to the coast, running from east to west. Meanwhile, the hill and mountain ranges unfold parallel to the coastline, stretching from north to south.
This geographical layout creates a continuous, recurring circular air movement during the summer season—a form of forced circulation that naturally regulates temperatures.
