Winemaker Notes
Disenchanted with Italian winemaking laws in the 1970s, a few rebellious Tuscan winemakers decided to get creative. Instead of following tradition, to bottle Sangiovese by itself, they started blending it with international varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in differing proportions and with amazing success. However, some Tuscan Blends don’t even include Sangiovese. Somm Secret—The suffix –aia in Italian modifies a word in much the same way –y acts in English. For example, a place with many stones (sassi) becomes Sassicaia. While not all Super Tuscan producer names end in –aia, they all share a certain coy nomenclature.
The flat plains of Emilia are home to Italy's famous, slightly sparking red, Lambrusco. While historically popular in large volumes, Lambrusco suffered a bit of scorn as an overly simple and sweet, frothy wine. Today there is an artisanl pull to produce small-batch, quality-focused dry and sweet versions within its four distinct Lambrusco subregions.