From June 16 to July 3, 2025, Annette and I spent time in wine country Italy, by car.
For an overview of the whole trip, go here: Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025
Third Stop: Chianti Classico (Tuscany)
From Bolgheri we drove to Chianti Classico and stayed 3 nights at Fattoria e Villa di Rignana.
On the arrival day, we went to the pool and had dinner at La Cantinetta di Rignana.
On the second day, we visited Greve and several Chianti Classico estates. The day ended with dinner again at La Cantinetta di Rignana.
On the third day, we started with an extensive winery visit at our hotel, at Fattoria di Rignana, with owner and winemaker Cosimo Gericke, followed by visits of more wineries in the Chianti Classico region. For dinner, as La Cantinetta di Rignana was closed on that day, we went to Locanda di Poggio al Sole, the restaurant of the Poggio al Sole winery, near Fattoria et Villa di Rignana.
Antinori Nel Chianti Classico Winery
We enjoyed a Tignanello in the tasting room.
Marchesi Antinori (Google AI based)
Marchesi Antinori is a renowned Italian wine company, based in Florence, Tuscany, with a rich history stretching back over six centuries to 1385.
The Antinori family has been dedicated to winemaking for 26 generations, making them one of the oldest family-owned companies globally.
They played a significant role in the "Super-Tuscan" revolution of the 1970s, which involved introducing innovative winemaking techniques and using non-traditional grape varieties.
The Antinori family's commitment to both tradition and innovation has been a driving force behind their success.
Antinori is a Tuscan-based wine company that is one of the largest and most prominent in Italy. The Chianti Classico region forms the focus of operations, though the company has an estate in Umbria and international interests including Antica Napa Valley and a controlling stake in Vitis Metamorfosis in Romania. Around 20 million bottles are produced annually across 150 labels.
The history of the house dates back to the 14th Century, after the silk-weaving family moved to Florence and began to cultivate vines. In 1900, Antinori added the Tignanello vineyard to its portfolio, and Niccolò Antinori and his son Piero began to experiement with then unheard-of winemaking techniques and grape varieties. The first vintage of Tignanello was released in 1971.
Tignanello
Tignanello is the most famous of all Antinori's wines. The vineyard of the same name extends to 57 hectares (140 acres) on limestone-rich soils on a southwest-facing slope 350-400m (1150-1300ft) above sea level.
This wine was the first in the region to combine the regional staple Sangiovese with non-traditional international varieties, and to omit white grapes – hence being classified as a Vino da Tavola. It is now a Toscana IGT.
A typical composition for recent vintages would be 80 percent Sangiovese with 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 percent Cabernet Franc. Tignanello is aged for 12-14 months in a mix of new and one year-old French and Hungarian oak.
Solaia
From the sunniest part of the Tignanello hill comes the Solaia Toscana IGT, with 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Sangiovese and 5 percent Cabernet Franc. The fruit for the Marchese Antinori Riserva (90 percent Sangiovese) is also sourced from the Tignanello vineyard.
Badia a Passignano
Antinori has several other vineyard holdings in Tuscany. The Badia a Passignano abbey in Sambuca Val di Pesa has been the site of vineyards for at least 1000 years, and has 56 hectares (140 acres) planted mostly to Sangiovese with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. It produces a single wine classified as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione.
Other Chianti wines and properties
The Pèppoli vineyard is located five kilometers (three miles) to the northeast of Tignanello. It has 50 hectares (124 acres) of vines.
In 2012, Antinori Nel Chianti Classico, a new gravity-flow winery (plus museum and restaurant), opened at Bargino, just south of Florence. Here, the company vinifies the Villa Antinori Chianti Classico, the Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva, the Vinsanto del Chianti Classico and Pèppoli Chianti Classico.
Pian delle Vigne, Brunello di Montalcino
In Montalcino, the Pian delle Vigne estate has 65 hectares (161 acres) planted to vines, while on the Tuscan coast in Bolgheri, the Antinoris own the large Guado al Tasso estate. The extensive 300-hectare (750-acre) vineyard produces a flagship Bordeaux-style blend of the same name, plus a range of other whites and reds.
Castello della Sala, Umbria
Over the regional border in the Orvieto region of Umbria, Castello della Sala – acquired in 1940 – has 140 hectares (345 acres) of vines producing a range headed by the well-regarded white wine: Cervaro della Sala (90 percent Chardonnay, 10 percent Grechetto)
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Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025
Lake Como
At Villa Almana in Cernobbio at Lake Como - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Bolgheri
Dinner at La Tana del Pirata in Marina di Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Winery Tour and Tasting at Tenuta Argentiera, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Florentine Steak - Dario Cecchini Selection - for Lunch at Osteria Magona in Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Running into Marco Balsimelli, Production Director, Ornellaia and Masseto, at Osteria Magona, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at La Macchiole, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Visiting Vigna Lodovico and Tasting Lodovico Antinori's Cult Wines Lodovico and Il Nicchio with his Assistant at Locanda dell' Aioncino - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Dinner at Locanda dell' Aioncino, Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Tasting the Wines of Tenuta di Biserno and Staying at Relais di Biserno, Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia): Barrel Cellar Tour and Tasting - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Bistecca alla Fiorentina for Lunch at Osteria Enoteca San Guido (Sassicaia), Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Dinner at La Pineta, with Chef/ Co-owner Daniele Zazzeri, a Michelin Starred Seafood Restaurant, at Marina die Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Grattamacco, a Benchmark Producer in Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
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