About Tenuta di Arceno:
Tenuta di Arceno's history stretches back to the time of the Etruscans who dominated central Italy prior to the formation of the Roman Empire. The Ambra river, which flows to Florence, and the Ombrone river, which flows to the Mediterranean, formed the nucleus of the ancient civilization. Still today, these two important rivers flow on either side of the Tenuta di Arceno estate. Located at the historical birthplace of its culture, it is not surprising to find that the word Arceno has as its root, the Etruscan word arché meaning origin point.
According to historians, wine was introduced to the Etruscans by the Greeks around 700 B.C. It soon became widely enjoyed and was even exported to various regions of the Mediterranean after the Etruscans began stopping their wine containers with cork. From this time of beginnings and innovation, a rich tradition of wine-making was born. Following its growth through the ages, we eventually arrive at the present and the region now known as Tuscany.
The Tenuta di Arceno estate lies in the hills of the Chianti region in central Tuscany between Florence and Siena, near Castelnuovo Berardenga. Tuscany is home to Italy's most renowned wines. Among them are the Super Tuscans, referred to as such due to their superior quality and position outside of official premium wine designations. The Tenuta di Arceno estate produces a variety of Super Tuscans including Arcanum I and Arcanum II.
From its roots in the Etruscan civilization, its ownership by the wealthy and respected Taja family, its sale to one of the most illustrious families of Siena, the Piccolominis, and finally to its acquisition by Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke in 1994, the history of Tenuta di Arceno unfolds, long and sinuous in time. The people who live and work there today are only the most recent link to ancient traditions, which should be conserved and respected. |