Tuscany
Tuscany is home to Italy’s most scenic vineyards, verdant rolling hills and likely the country’s best-known wine, chianti. It is Italy’s most ancient wine-producing region, dating back to the 8th century BC, and its wines are often blends that incorporate its native Sangiovese grapes. Sangiovese produces tannic, acidic wines that span a range of flavours depending on the local environment: from earthy to, often, fruity. Chianti is made with at least 80 percent Sangiovese, and the Chianti region itself spans a large area of Tuscany, comprising multiple towns and villages that produce the wine. Brunello di Montalcino, which is made with 100% Sangiovese grapes, is even more highly esteemed and, together with Barolo and Barbaresco, makes up the “Three Big B’s” of Italian wine.
Tuscany’s best white wine is Vernaccia di San Gimignano, made from the Vernaccia grape that produces a crisp, citrusy flavour. Of course, you can’t talk about Tuscany without mentioning its most famous dessert: twice-baked cantucci (or biscotti) dipped in Vin Santo, an ambrosial sweet wine made from Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes.