 Pisa and its wine
Each wine in the province of Pisa belongs
to a specific area and is associated with a road that winds
between rolling hills in a charming landscape. If Tuscany is a
land of great wines, the province of Pisa is no exception. Its
wine production has been appreciated ever since the Etruscan
period. Each wine in the province of Pisa belongs to a specific
area and is associated with a road that winds between rolling
hills in a charming landscape. If Tuscany is a land of great
wines, the province of Pisa is no exception. Its wine production
has been appreciated ever since the Etruscan period. Dozens of
family-run wine farms have changed into businesses which promote
their DOC (registered designation of origin) and DOCG (registered
and guaranteed designation of origin) wines in Italy and abroad.
The names of the main wines are:
Chianti delle Colline Pisane, Bianco Pisano di San Torpé, Vino
Montescudaio, Vino dei Colli dell’Etruria Centrale.
The Chianti delle Colline Pisane (DOCG) is produced in a
vast area extending from the Pisan Hills to the San Miniato area.
This wine is obtained from grapes of the Sangiovese, Canaiolo
Nero, Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia del Chianti varieties grown
on hilly terrains at altitudes below 500 meters. Its average
alcoholic strength is 11 percent, but can attain 13 percent for
particular soils and vintages. It is bright red in color and is
characterized by a strong smell and dry taste. It is especially
suited for meats and roasts.
The area devoted to the production of the Bianco Pisano di
San Torpé (DOC) embraces an even larger territory, with a
variety of terrains which do not allow uniform quality of the
grapes and wine. The name is not derived from one of the many
villages scattered on the hills but from the first Pisan martyr,
who was beheaded in the 1st century AD. This wine is chiefly
produced from Trebbiano grapes with the addition of Malvasia
Toscana and Canaiolo Bianco. It has an alcoholic strength of about
11 percent. It is pale yellow in color and has a delicate smell
and dry taste. It is ideal with fish and hors d’œuvres.
The Vino Montescudaio (DOC) is produced in the hilly
area at the back of the Tyrrhenian coast which includes the
communes of Montescudaio, Guardistallo, Casale Marittimo and
Riparbella. The Montescudaio Rosso (red) is chiefly obtained from
grapes of the Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero, Trebbiano Toscano and
Malvasia del Chianti varieties. This wine is bright red in color
and has a strong smell and dry taste. It is particularly suited
for first courses, white and red meats and cheeses.
 Montescudaio Bianco (white) is made from Trebbiano Toscano,
Canaiolo Bianco, Vermentino and Malvasia grapes. It generally
accompanies delicate hors d’œuvres and first courses, fish and
shellfish. The minimum alcoholic strength of both wines is 11.5
percent.
There is also a Montescudaio Vin Santo, a dessert wine
produced from the same grape varieties as the Bianco and aged
three years in wooden containers, the so-called “caratelli”,
placed in special rooms termed “vinsantaie”. The wine has an
alcoholic strength of 17 percent, is amber-colored and is
characterized by a strong aroma, a mellow flavor and a slightly
bitter aftertaste. It is best consumed with pastries.
The area of the Vino dei Colli dell’Etruria Centrale (DOC) coincides with that of the Chianti delle Colline Pisane, but
producers have to choose between the two names. It comes in the
red, white, rosé and vinsanto varieties. The red and rosé types
(alcoholic strength 10 percent) are obtained from grapes of the
Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero, Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia del
Chianti varieties. The white and vinsanto types are produced from
Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia del Chianti, Pinot Bianco and Pinot
Grigio grapes. The red type is suited for white and red meats and
the rosé for canapés and cold cuts. The Vin Santo (alcoholic
strength 16 percent) is ideal with desserts such as “cantuccini”
and pastries.
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Courtesy of Agenzia per il Turismo di Pisa
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