Tuscany is where wine and art grew up together. For three thousand years — from the Etruscans to the Super Tuscans — these hills have made some of the world’s most beloved reds, almost all from a single grape.
No wine region is more romantic than Tuscany, and few are older. The cypress-lined hills, the walled towns, the Renaissance cities — and threaded through all of it, the vine. Tuscany’s wine story runs from a mysterious ancient people to a modern rebellion that broke every rule, and it is anchored, from beginning to end, by one grape: Sangiovese.
Etruscan roots
Tuscans have been making wine for more than 3,000 years, since the time of the Etruscans, who cultivated vines here long before the Romans arrived.[1] Both of the region’s signature grapes — Sangiovese and the white Trebbiano — are thought to be native Tuscan vines first grown by the Etruscans.[1] Rome carried the craft forward (and adopted the wooden barrel along the way); monasteries kept it alive through the Middle Ages; and the Medici of Florence made Tuscan wine famous across Europe.[1]
Sangiovese and the Chianti recipe
The modern shape of Tuscan wine was drawn in the 19th century, when Baron Bettino Ricasoli devised the original recipe for Chianti — a blend built around Sangiovese — which became the template for the region’s reds.[1] Today Chianti Classico, from the historic heartland between Florence and Siena, remains Tuscany’s most famous wine. But Sangiovese does not stop there.
| How old | 3,000+ years, back to the Etruscans[1] |
|---|---|
| The grape | Sangiovese — the backbone of nearly all the great reds[1] |
| The classic | Chianti Classico — Ricasoli’s 19th-century Sangiovese blend[1] |
| The greats | Brunello di Montalcino & Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (DOCG, 1980)[2] |
| The rebels | The “Super Tuscans” of the 1970s, made outside the rules[1] |
The noble trio: Brunello, Vino Nobile, Vernaccia
Tuscany’s hill towns each gave the world a benchmark wine. In Montalcino, Sangiovese is grown as the powerful Brunello — 100% Sangiovese Grosso, aged for years, one of Italy’s mightiest reds and a DOCG since 1980.[2] In Montepulciano, the same grape becomes the elegant Vino Nobile, the “noble wine.” And in the tower-crowned town of San Gimignano, the white Vernaccia holds its own — proof that Tuscany is not only about red.[1]
The Super Tuscan rebellion
Then, in the 1970s, a few producers rebelled. Frustrated by rigid Chianti rules, they began blending Sangiovese with international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon — or dropping it entirely — and aging in French oak.[1] Officially these “Super Tuscans” were mere table wine, outside the DOC system; in reality they were among Italy’s finest and most expensive bottles, and they forced the whole region to raise its game.[1] It is the Italian cousin of every New World winemaker who ever ignored tradition to chase quality.
Three thousand years, one grape, and a rebellion that broke the rules to save them. That is Tuscany in a glass.
Explore Tuscany
Dig into the hill towns and their wines:
Related reading: wine in the ancient Mediterranean · the evolution of winemaking · The Monk in the Vineyard · the Wine History Timeline · Sangiovese, the grape · Italy’s wine regions
Frequently asked questions
What grape is Tuscan wine made from?
Overwhelmingly Sangiovese, a native Tuscan grape. It is the backbone of Chianti and Chianti Classico, of Brunello di Montalcino (as 100% Sangiovese Grosso), and of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The white Vernaccia di San Gimignano is a notable exception.
What are Super Tuscans?
A class of high-quality wines that emerged in the 1970s, made outside Tuscany’s DOC/DOCG rules — often blending Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Though technically classified as table wine at first, they became some of Italy’s most prized bottles.
Sources
- “Tuscan wine” (winemaking for 3,000+ years since the Etruscans; native Sangiovese and Trebbiano; Roman barrels; the Medici; Ricasoli’s 19th-century Chianti recipe; the Super Tuscans of the 1970s), Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuscan_wine
- “Brunello di Montalcino” (100% Sangiovese Grosso; extended oak and bottle aging; awarded DOCG status in 1980), Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunello_di_Montalcino
Want to read more?
Books we drew on and recommend for going deeper on wine history.
The World Atlas of WineHugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson
Wine from Grape to GlassJens Priewe
Cork DorkBianca BoskerAs an Amazon Associate, Wine History Tours earns from qualifying purchases. This supports our research at no extra cost to you.
