Super Tuscan

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. On the program today we are looking at what defines an Italian Super Tuscan wine.

Over the past few days we have learned that Sangiovese is the predominant red grape used in the making of Chianti. Another great wine from the Tuscany region of Italy is affectionately referred to as Super Tuscan, which blends less traditional grapes with the Sangiovese, grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and even Syrah. These grapes makes them ineligible for classification under the traditional laws. I did a little research and discovered  that San Felice produced the first ever "Super Tuscan" in 1968 called Vigorello, and in the 1970s Piero Antinori also made a richer wine by eliminating the white grapes from the Chianti blend, and instead adding Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The result was the wine which he named Tignanello, after the vineyard where the grapes were grown. I have been ther and the views are gorgeous. Other winemakers started experimenting with Super Tuscan blends of their own, all of which met with great reviews from the wine world. Since these wines did not conform to strict classifications, they were initially labeled as "table wine," the term usually reserved for lower quality wines. However the creation of a new category  helped make Super Tuscans credible, at least from a regulatory standpoint. They are delicious wines and truly expensive, but don’t pass up a chance to try a few you will gain an entirely new apprecaition for the wines of Tuscany. Remember to send your wine questiopns to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today’s Vine to Wine.