#LAVITA SIEME - Wine TASTING In a 700-year-old CELLAR
This week we are talking all about the wine in Montepulciano! The D’orcia Valley is home to some of the most famous Tuscan red wines including Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Vino Nobile translates to “noble wine”. This is because in the 1500’s, the pope blessed this wine as so superior that it should be the only wine fit for noble families to drink. However, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has another unofficial meaning as well. As Montepulciano dates back to the Etruscan period, the origins of winemaking here are found in the ancient cantinas below the town’s villas. During this time in history, wine was so expensive to make that it was primarily enjoyed by only the wealthiest families. Not yet a business, wine was grown in private vineyards outside of the city walls and then brought into villas to be stored in private cantinas, adding another layer of significance to the term “Vino Nobile”
Today we will take you on a virtual tour of one such cantina. Cantina de Ricci, in the heart of Montepulciano is a 700-year-old wine cellar below the De Ricci palazzo. While the De Ricci family is no longer living, the Palazzo is home to the European Academy for Music. When in session you can regularly hear the ringing of classical orchestral music through the walls and even attend concerts in its private theaters. With a gorgeous courtyard, you can stop for a sweeping view of the breathtaking D’orcia valley before starting your wine journey.
Below the Palazzo is Cantina De Ricci, a cathedral like wine cellar that you just have to see to believe! The vault is so famous amongst wine lovers it has even earned the nickname “The Cathedral of Wine”
Enter from the top of the city and you will wind your way down four flights of hand laid brick stairs so old you can see the indentations made by hundreds of years of foot traffic. Family crests line the walls as you descend into the cavern.
More than 130 feet below the villa, the cantina stands like a cathedral. Arching stone walls and ancient candelabras light the space (now with electricity). Giant barrels line the entranceway magnifying this religious-like experience, Rows and rows of wine barrels are stacked along the walls as massive tunnels snake deeper and deeper into the cellar.
(Leave it to a 700-year-old cellar to make children out of a group of adult strangers. Before the tasting part of the tour had even started, many of us were running through the unfinished tunnels in some adolescent hope of finding hidden passageways! )
After this jaw dropping tour, you’ll have the option for a three or six glass wine tasting (is it really an option though? Of course, we are trying all six!) We won’t dive too much into the wine classifications, but Cantina de Ricci has many delicious red wines to choose from. Vino Nobile, although made primarily from Sangiovese grapes like other Tuscan wines, is less acidic. Make sure to try the Rosso di Montepulciano as well, a younger table wine meant to be drank, not saved. The Rosso di Montepulciano at Cantina De Ricci was one of the best I have ever had.
The Soraldo and Il Vignone are a fascinating taste experiment as well. Identical wines but grown on two different sides of Montepulciano, they could not be more different! We can thank sulfur rich soil on one side of the city walls for the differentiation and for those sweeping views of the Tuscan hillside. Not ideal for vineyards or even forests, the sulfur rich soil results in those interrupted stunning view from the top of Montepulciano.
The only way to try wines from Cantina de Ricci is to visit or subscribe to their private wine club. They have developed such an adoring American fan base that they sell directly to their clients! And the best part is, this entire operation is owned and run by the wonderful Trabalzini family. Enrico, the father gave us a tour of the cellar while the son and mother prepared and walked us through the wine tasting! Their passion for winemaking and the history of their beloved cantina shines throughout the tour. In fact, to honor this unique piece of history, they even restored the original name to the cellar along with all of the family crests on the wine bottles.
At Sieme, we love to highlight artisans and makers authentically passionate about their craft and passing it on to the next generation. It is a BIG BONUS when the wine just also happens to be delicious.
If interested in tasting wines from Cantina De Ricci, you can get in touch with them here. Or better yet, pin this to your next Italian adventure and come see for yourself!
Or reach out to them by email and tell them Cassandra from Sieme sent you (remember, here in Italy, referrals are everything!)
Info: info@dericci.it
Sales: sales@dericci.it
Thanks for joining us this week on La Vita Sieme! Sending you love and light from Tuscany! And make sure to connect with us on social media @wearesieme and let us know what you would love to know about the artisanal + sustainable life in Tuscany!
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