Among towers and hills, a journey to discover an ancient wine
The unmistakable skyline of San Gimignano, fairly renamed the Manhattan of the Middle Ages, stands out against a landscape of rolling hills covered in vines. This is therefore a perfect destination for those who want a holiday that combines food and wine excellences with historical and artistic ones.
To discover this precious corner of Tuscany there is the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Trail, dedicated to the only Tuscan DOCG white wine, a wine that even boasts a mention in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.
The route brings together local wineries, farmhouses, restaurants, wine bars.
Suggested route
The Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Experience is located inside the Villa della Rocca di Montestaffoli, a historic residence near the walls of the old fortress, in a panoramic position at the highest point in San Gimignano.
La Rocca represents a unique and original experiment in Tuscany, the first reality managed by producers to use the most modern technological and multimedia means to offer visitors an immersive experience.
On the ground floor there is the space dedicated to the tastings of the numerous Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG and Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG Riserva labels, as well as other local wines. Tastings take place by appointment and are led by expert sommeliers.
On the first floor, the Top Masterclasses are held, always by reservation: more in-depth tastings combined with the visit of thematic rooms that allow to dive into the world of wine, with the use of images, lights, sounds, videos and modern technologies.
After the tasting, visitors can head through the city gates in search of wineries in Montauto, Libbiano and Pancole.
Typical products
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG is a white wine produced from grapes of the vine of the same name, characterized by a straw yellow color and a dry, slightly bitter taste.
This is also the production area of Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, a brilliant and fruity ruby red wine which, together with the other local red wines - the San Gimignano DOC red and the Toscano IGT - is to be tasted paired with the tasty local cured meats: hams, wild boar or “magrone” sausages (a cross between pork and wild boar), finocchiona and mortito, a traditional salami with myrtle.
San Gimignano Extra Virgin Olive Oil, thanks also to the refinement of processing techniques, is today one of the essential components of traditional cuisine.
Finally, the precious PDO San Gimignano saffron, highly sought after today. The saffron, a recently reintroduced production, is marketed only in filaments of guaranteed origin, obtained with natural techniques and toasted with a traditional drying process.
Info: vernaccia.it