Throughout the world, Tuscany has been well-known for its red wines, including Super Tuscan, Brunello di Montalcino, Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, and many others. This wine region has a strong focus on appellations, with nearly 95% of vineyards being under DOC/DOCG, most of them growing red grapes. In 2024, Tuscany produced 1.68 million hl. of PDO wine, ranking 7th in Italy by volume. At least 60% of this is exported to foreign countries. The primary market for Tuscan red wines is the US, with 54% of them sold. Last year, Tuscany’s wine exports amounted to $1.2 billion, resulting in an increase of 8.7% compared to 2023. Given these circumstances, this region could rest easy for the next few years; instead, it has more than one reason to be concerned. And no, we are not hinting at the US tariffs on European wines.
A Project To Find A New Flagship Wine
People’s tastes are changing, and so is the climate. The latest overall is the most worrying. Warmer and warmer seasons, drought, erratic rainfall, heatwaves, spring frosts, hail… All these phenomena are putting the skills of growers and winemakers to the test. Above all, they risk altering the classic profiles of the most famous Tuscan red wines. Besides the challenges in the field, there are also those in the markets. Nowadays, people – mainly the younger ones – no longer want to drink expensive, alcoholic red wines as they used to. They prefer lighter, fresher, and fruitier white wines (with or without bubbles). No wonder that some of the most famous red wine denominations in the world, such as Saint-Emilion, in Burgundy, are already thinking of adding some white wine to their production. Luckily, Tuscany already owns the raw materials it needs to produce the wines it needs: its autochthonous white grapes. To identify the varieties and what they need to craft a great white wine in a land of great reds, a new project is underway, where some “Donne del Vino” are playing a pivot role.
Dreaming The Future Of Tuscany At Enoteca Italiana di Siena
“In a recent meeting in Siena, eleven Tuscan ‘Donne del Vino’ presented at the Enoteca Italiana in Siena their white wines from native grapes produced in central Tuscany,” Donatella Cinelli Colombini relates. She is a renowned producer and delegate for Tuscany of the national association “Donne del Vino”; above all, she is a woman who is always at the forefront when it comes to innovating the world of wine. “They showed the point that the wineries have reached on their own without the coordination of a university or consortium – she explains – This coordination is necessary to move forward more quickly in the future, because it compares the results and analyzes them in the laboratory. This way, we will be able to identify more quickly the most suitable grape variety or varieties and the production technique best suited to enhancing them.” The meeting mentioned by Donatella Cinelli Colombini is an important round table organized in the Enoteca Italiana Siena some weeks ago. At the event, representatives from local government, the wine industry, the University, and Accademia della Vite e del Vino also participated, demonstrating the interest and importance of this topic.
The Chances of Trebbiano Toscano
The region’s new flagship wine, they said during the meeting, should be made from a white local grape that can withstand climate change. It should be complex yet easy to drink, and truly reflect the area where it’s produced. Maybe it’s still too early to say that there is already a candidate for the grape variety, but at the moment, the most promising grape varieties seem to be Procanico, Grechetto, and the almost unknown and rare Orpicchio grape. However, according to some experts, white wine production from Sangiovese grapes also appears very promising, especially for sparkling wines. “Who knows, perhaps Sangiovese is the Pinot Noir of Tuscany.” Donatella Cinelli Colombini says. As just mentioned, Procanico is a viable candidate to produce Tuscany’s next great white wine. In fact, this is an old acquaintance because it is the name given to Trebbiano Toscano in certain areas of Tuscany, such as the Maremma and the island of Elba.Trebbiano Toscano is the fifth most widely grown variety nationally and the first white variety in this region, where it has other autochthonous varieties that could be considered. Examples of these native types include Brucanico in Siena province, Bobiano around Lucca, Biancone in the Cortona area, Albano in Arezzo, and so on.
A Region Of Great Reds Can Produce Great Whites
Trebbiano is not the only variety that could make the white wine they’re looking for. There are other local grapes, such as Canaiolo Bianco and Malvasia, but also the renowned Vermentino and Vernaccia. There is no doubt, therefore, that Tuscany can produce excellent white wines, just as it already produces excellent red wines.
“Wine experts and agronomists like me know that big red wine regions, like central Tuscany, usually produce great white wines, but the opposite isn’t always true.” Gennaro Giliberti, the head of Agriculture and Rural Development for the Region of Tuscany, claimed at the meeting in Siena. Thus, investing energies not only in economics, but also in technical and organizational areas makes the entire Tuscan supply chain more resilient and capable of looking to the future with confidence.
A New Chapter In The Tuscany’s Wine Story
Rosario Di Lorenzo, president of the illustrious Accademia della Vite e del Vino, noted that Tuscany has spent years studying its native white grapes. “Studies conducted on these grape varieties not only confirm their natural predisposition to become great wines, but have also shown them to be even more resistant to fungal attacks, and therefore to climate change, than red grape varieties” he said. Research demonstrate these varieties are not only well-suited to making quality wines, but are also more resistant to fungal diseases and climate change than red grapes. With white wine becoming more popular, focusing on these varieties could help producers stay competitive and in step with consumers who demand local wines with a distinct and recognizable identity.