Wine festivals are an excellent way to get to know some of the best producers in the region. Not just the famous ones, but surprisingly excellent yet relatively unknown wine makers, too.
I visit several of these festivals every year, and I'm very rarely disappointed. There's always something interesting to discover! The trick is to sample both the famous wines, from wineries that boast a solid reputation, as well as the new and promising bottles from the smaller wineries. I do the same when I take my clients on wine tasting tours in Tuscany - we visit the most famous and important wineries, naturally, but we also tour several hidden little gems. Often, that's everyone’s favorite part of the experience...
We tried the Chianti from Broilil, which was excellent, as expected. Equally delicious was their Merlot.
Another favorite was Tenuta Sette Ponti, an excellent winery near Arezzo. A few of their Sangiovese wines really surprised us!
This little winery was an interesting discovery: organic wines, made on a nearly deserted island called "The Island of Rabbits", in the Tuscan archipelago. To reach the vineyard you have to travel by boat and then walk for 20 minutes... Aged in amphoras, the wine maintains its freshness and dominant mineral notes
Naturally, we couldn't leave without trying a few bottles by some of our favorite producers (listed and described on "Tuscany for the Shameless Hedonist 2022", too): Avignonesi, Le Chiuse, Grattamacco and many others...
Next time your're in Tuscany, join one of our wine tasting experiences and tours!