A super-Tuscan super-lunch Tenuta di Biserno is in the Maremma region on the Tuscany coast. The owner is Lodovico Antinori who used to own well known Ornellaia. To get there you need to navigate some winding roads but you are awarded with beautiful nature and great wines made by Swedish born wine maker Helena Lindberg. [...]
Tag Archives | Tuscany
Högberga Wine Factory – Swedish wine from Italian grapes
Two crazy Swedes make Italian wine in Stockholm The strange story of how two Swedish wine enthusiasts began making wine on Lidingö, an island that is part of Stockholm. The truck the grapes home with a lorry from Tuscany in Italy. And it actually tastes good! Britt Karlsson tells the story. Sweden has a difficult [...]
New rooster and new rules for Chianti Classico
During the launch of the new vintage of Chianti Classico, the “anteprima” or the “primeurs”, in mid-February in Florence the consorzio presented the new design of the black rooster, the gallo nero symbol of Chianti Classico. They also presented the new rules, as of this year, that will apply for Chianti Classico. BKWine’s Åsa Johansson reports. [...]
Nittardi in Tuscany, a wine and art enthusiast
We know of several wineries where beautiful works of art are on display in the cellar and in the vineyard. Åsa has visited Nittardi in Tuscany, owned since 1981 by a German-Italian couple that also has an art gallery in Frankfurt. Besides having sculptures and pictures by well known artist here and there the couple [...]
Wine tour to amarone-land, wine and food of Tuscany, restaurants in the Douro Valley in Portugal
A few memories from some travel destinations this autumn can perhaps brighten the dark winter days? Here are a few samples from the travel blog on BKWineTours.com: Italian lunches tend to take quite a long time and tend to include a lot of different things. It is almost inevitable to start with some charcuteries, dried [...]
Organic food and biodynamic wines in Tuscany
The Fattoria Poggerino is one of the few organic and biodynamic wineries in Chianti. It is run by Piero and Benedetta Lanza, brother and sister. Piero runs the wine cellar and Benedetta runs their agriturismo as well as being a very talented cook. This autumn we stopped by on our “Super Tuscan” wine tour for [...]
A super-Tuscan with Bordeaux links
Eric Albada Jelgersma owns Chateau Giscours and Château du Tertre in Margaux in Bordeaux. But he had, apparently, money left to spend so some years back this rich Dutchman started a winery in Tuscany, on the coast, not far from where many of the “super-tuscan” wines are made. This past autumn we found our way [...]
Wine and art blend well at the Nittardi winery in Tuscany
Fattoria Nittardi is a wine producer in the heart of the Chianti Classico district in Tuscany. Each year they commission a famous artist to design the label for their Chianti Classico wine, Casanuova di Nittardi. This year’s label, the thirteenth, is made by the Nobel Prize winner in literature Dario Fo. BKWine’s reporter Åsa Johansson [...]
Vandals in Montalcino: six vintages of Case Basse destroyed
A dark night in November vandals broke into the wine cellar at the wine producer Case Basse in Montalcino in Tuscany. The hoodlums opened all wine vats. The total production from 2007 to 2012 was destroyed. Some 600 hl are said to have been destroyed. Case Basse is a small vineyard in Montalcino with only [...]
Colombaia in southern Tuscany, a vineyard worth a visit
Colombaia is actually the Italian name for a small dovecot that you often can find on the roof of old Tuscan houses. But it is also the name of a very interesting wine producer in the southern part of Tuscany. The vineyard is at the very end of a long dirt road and it is [...]
Reporting from Montecucco, a new wine region in southern Tuscany that was just made DOCG
Montecucco is one of the “new” wine regions in Tuscany, Italy, that has powerful neighbours to fight for consumer mind share with and has several challenges. But that is making great progress and wines to take note of. BKWine’s reporter in Italy, Åsa Johansson, goes into the details of some of the producer in this [...]
Åsa’s Wine of the Month: Batár 2009, IGT Toscana, Querciabella
Åsa’s wine of the month comes from Querciabella, a winery in Tuscany that has been organic since 1988 and biodynamic since 2000. The vineyards are in a superb location in the Chinati Classico region at a good altitude (300-600 m) with a south facing exposure for most of the vineyards. Batár is made from 50% [...]
Montecucco, a Tuscan wine region too watch
From Montecucco, a new wine region in southern Tuscany that was just made DOCG Montecucco is one of the “new” wine regions in Tuscany, Italy, that has powerful neighbours to fight for consumer mind share with and has several challenges. But that is making great progress and wines to take note of. BKWine’s reporter in [...]
Montecucco, newcomer with style with two heavy-weight neighbours
A newish Tuscan region gains DOCG and starts to make its mark When talking about the wines of Tuscany it is easy to forget that there are much more than the three big names, Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino. That would be a mistake. There are many more exiting wines to [...]
Trattoria Latte di Luna, Pienza restaurant | BKWine Pick
The Latte di Luna restaurant is at the very end of the main street in Pienza. You can’t miss it. This is a real family affair! Il Signore is running the dining room, La Mama is doing the cooking, and La Figlia is helping with the service. Sitting down is like squeezing in at a [...]
Two of Italy’s great wine profiles have died: Gambelli and Quintarelli
Giulio Gambelli was one of Italy most famous oenologists. He worked almost all his life with the sangiovese grape i Tuscany. Giuseppe Quintarelli was a legendary wine producer in Valpolicella, sometimes called “the father of amarone”. Both died in January 2012. Åsa reports. Giulio Gambelli is honoured by a special mention on the Consorzio Chianti [...]
Prestigious producer in Montalcino tasted: Col d’Orcia
Tenuta Col d’Orcia is one of the most famous producers in the region around Montalcino where they produce the exclusive Brunello di Montalcino and the somewhat more affordable Rosso di Montalcino. The winery contacted us and asked if we might be interested in tasting their wines. Of course we are, we said. Read the report [...]
Col d’Orcia – a winery in Montalcino, Tuscany
Col d’Orcia is one of the most famous vineyards in the Montalcino area in Tuscany, famous for its Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Col D’Orcia is a giant compared to many other producers of Brunello around the village of Montalcino. Mostly, the more than two hundred wine growers in the area have just a few acres [...]
Le Carceri, restaurant Florence | BKWine Pick
Le Carceri actually means “the prison” and that is what this place used to be. Now it houses a nice restaurant and apartments (of the more voluntary kind). In a calm court yard hidden from traffic in the old penitentiary this restaurant has a very nice outside terrasse – calm since there are non cars [...]
Buon natale! Italian Christmas
How is an Italian Christmas and an Italian Christmas dinner? Italy is a strange country, difficult to understand. Even for the Italians themselves. There is chaos in politics and in the traffic, but when it comes to food and drink you have to follow the rules. Otherwise you will be stared at or laughed at, [...]
Constellation Brands buys Ruffino in Chianti
Constellation Brands is one of the world’s biggest wine producers. Ruffino is one of the biggest producers of wine in Tuscany with its core in Chianti. Constellation recently bought 50.1% of Ruffino. The price tag was 50 million euro (plus taking over debts of around 55 million euro). Constellation already owned 49.9% of Ruffino and [...]
Enoteca Italiana, Siena restaurant & wine bar | BKWine Pick
One needs perhaps to do a little bit of extra promotion for this place – it is in the wrong direction. It is not really far from the city centre, though, only five minutes walk from Piazza Matteotti. You can’t miss it. It is in the immense and impressive Fortezza Medicea. It is something like [...]
La Taverna di Cecco, Siena restaurant | BKWine Pick
La Taverna di Cecco is a very small restaurant only a few hundred meters from the famous Piazza del Campo but a world away in terms of the crowds of tourist there are. The style is that of a simple taverna, but with real table cloths and proper napkins, so certainly a bit up from [...]
Ristorante La Beppa Fioraia, Florence | BKWine Pick
La Beppa is not a restaurant that you would just happen to pass by. You have to know where to find it. A lot of Florentinos do know where to find it! It is often crowded. The first time I went here I had asked a friend who lives in Florence “I want something away [...]
A rosé made from sangiovese – Aurora from Poggerino i Radda in Chianti | Åsa’s Wine of the Month
It is very seldom you find a rosé wine made from sangiovese grapes, but that’s what they do at Poggerino i Radda in Chianti. 24 hours after the harvest, destemming and the vatting of the sangiovese grapes 15% of the must is removed in what is called bleeding (saignée). These fifteen percent are what in [...]
Two friends of BKWine in Tuscany mentioned in the Decanter guide
Two of the places we sometimes visit on our wine tours in Tuscany were recently included in a Decanter Magazine guide. In their August issue they have an article on what to do when you are in Florence and which places to visit nearby. On the list of vineyards to visit they have included Villa [...]
The Finest Wines of Tuscany and Central Italy
The Finest Wines of Tuscany and Central Italy By: Nicolas Belfrage Photo: Jon Wyand Fine Wine Editions This is the personal selection of the best producers in primarily Tuscany (and a bit more) by a great Italian wine expert, Nicolas Belfrage. He has previously written several books on Italian wines. The book is nicely put [...]
Biancone, Renzo Marinai
My friend was so overwhelmed when she tasted Ronzo Marinai’s chardonnay that she decided to rename her cat Renzo, in homage to the winemaker. After having tasted the wine I think I might do the same thing, that is if I had a nameless cat. Biancone is made exclusively from chardonnay grown in the heart [...]
Fattoria Poggerino #2, in Chianti, biodynamism by Piero Lanza [E] | BKWine TV
Part 2 of the interview with Piero Lanza, co-owner (together with his sister) and winemaker at Fattoria Poggerino, Radda in Chianti. In part 2 Piero explains what it means to be a biodynamic winery. Piero explains how he farms his vineyard with biodynamic principles, how he works with preparations and how he started with organic [...]
Chianti Rufina DOCG 2006 Fattoria Cerreto Libri
Chianti Rufina DOCG 2006 Fattoria Cerreto Libri A spicy wine with long after-taste. On the palate you have distinct notes of violet, warm and ripe black currants and a touch of vanilla. The colour is deep red, with flashes of ruby if the light is right. It has an astonishing long after taste. It’s made [...]
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