Free Travel Article Directory

There are many delightful things about a visit to Italy’s Tuscan region, but one of the most enjoyable is the area’s wine. Though all of Italy is wine country, some of the finest comes from grapes grown in Tuscany. Any visit to this fantastic region should include an excursion to at least one of Tuscany’s wineries to sample some of the local wines.

Traditional Chianti

The wine most often associated with Italy is Chianti. The Chianti region is one of the largest wine producing regions in Tuscany. Chianti is familiar to many as the “wine bottle in a basket” served in so many Italian restaurants. But, you’ll find that when you choose Chianti in Italy, you’ll be treated to many different variations on the same delicious theme. You’ll be able to sample Chianti in the restaurants you visit, as well as taking a few bottles back to your villas in Tuscany for the nights you cook for yourself, and perhaps shipping some home for later.

The original blend of grapes used for making Chianti was 70% Sangiovese grapes (the most common grape grown in Tuscany), 15% Canaiolo grapes and 15% Malvasia grapes. This was the required formula for many years and, in order for wine to be labelled Chianti, it had to be made with this exact mix of grapes. Today, however, the formula for Chianti can be varied, as long as the wine is made up of at least 75% Sangiovese grape. Since 1995, it has also been legal to produce Chianti from 100% Sangiovese grapes. You may find wines made from 100% Sangiovese grapes that are labelled as such, rather than being labelled as Chianti.

Different wine makers create their Chiantis by choosing different varieties for the other 30% of the blend, or using just Sangiovese grapes. Canaiolo and Malvasia are still popular choices for the blend, as well as the more traditional Trebbiano, but other grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, are sometimes used, too.

There are several varieties of Chianti wines, based on where they are grown. The most well known is the Chianti Classico, which is grown in the area between Florence and Siena. All of the Chiantis are undoubtedly deliciously palatable and can complement a meal or simply be sipped on their own on the patio of those villas in Tuscany.

Popular Pinot Grigio

For the white wine drinker, tasting the many varieties of Pinot Grigio produced in Tuscany is also a must. Pinot Grigio is, today, the most popular varietal of Italian wine outside of Italy. In fact, the demand for Pinot Grigio is so high outside of the country that the blend of grapes used to make it is not always true to the original. However, when you buy a rated Pinot Grigio in Italy, you can be sure that it will be consistent with the original formula.

Pinot Grigio is a light, delicate white wine, with fruit flavours and some acidity. It makes the perfect wine for sipping on the terrace of villas in Tuscany as you indulge in a holiday book. But it will also pair very well with many of the seafood and pasta dishes so popular in this region of Italy.

Drinking the local wines is as much as part of the traditional Italian holiday as seeing the Spanish steps in Rome or renting villas in Tuscany. Be sure you take advantage of all the wonderful wines Italy offers its visitors.

Giovanni Balboni works for To Tuscany, who specialise in finding the perfect villas in Tuscany as well as selected villas in Umbria and Puglia. To Tuscany is proud of their villas and their reputation. Each property is personally selected and visited by our representatives to ensure we offer only the best in the region.

This article was provided by LeadGenerators, the smartest online marketing agency in London, and the proud host a series of internet marketing training seminars.

Thank you for visiting our article directory! Feel free to use any of our travel writing articles for your own website, on the condition that you also take the link we have included in the text. Check back for more travel writing soon; we’re uploading more original travel articles all the time!