Andrea Bocelli once said about the wines that carry his last name: “When I return home from one of my journeys that often bring lots of deprivation, there shall always be one of these bottles on my table. It will bring me enormous joy.
It will bring back memories of my father who praised the fruit of those hills with his strong and calm voice almost in a religious way. Between those grapevines I will find peace after every journey.” A known gourmet Andrea Bocelli also acknowledges: “I’m an Italian!
We love good food, good wine, entertainment, being together – this is everyday romance. After a good meal and a glass of wine, I feel so much better.”
The vineyard
Around 20 minutes by car from Pisa, the Azienda Bocelli is located in La Sterza-Lajatico. For generations the Bocelli family has cultivated this plot of land – initially still for the Florentine noble family Corsini. Bit by bit the Bocellis purchased land and a small farm. Today the Azienda with approximately 120 hectares of arable land is run by Alberto and Cinzia Bocelli.
In 2000 they decided to increase their wine production in addition to grains and olives: Bocelli wine, formerly made by Alessandro, the father of the family, would now be the responsibility of his sons Alberto and Andrea. Born in Lajatico in 1958, Andrea Bocelli grew up among those very hills and lived on this very farm. Today he is known as the tenor with the most albums sold.
A known gourmet Andrea Bocelli also acknowledges: “I’m an Italian! We love good food, good wine, entertainment, being together – this is everyday romance. After a good meal and a glass of wine, I feel so much better.”
On the Ligurian coast lies one of the world’s most renowned wine-growing regions: Tuscany. The region and its capital Florence are part of the Great Wine Capitals network, into which only one wine-growing region per country is admitted. Almost ideal geological and climatic conditions allow the region’s vineyards to produce high-quality wines with a unique and individual note. Graced with plenty of sun and sufficient rain, the Tuscan grapes growing on barren lime ground make for wines that are loved by connoisseurs the world over.
Grapes are cultivated on almost 65,000 hectares in Tuscany The vineyards stretch from the Mediterranean coast in the West to the slopes of the Apennines in the North and East to the Maremma in the South, which extends all the way to Lazio. Around two thirds of the vineyards are located on hillsides at an altitude of 100 to 500 metres above sea level.
IMPORTANT GRAPE VARIETIES
Sangiovese is undoubtedly the main grape variety in Tuscany. It is the most important grape variety for Chianti and one of its variants – Sangiovese Grosso or Brunello – is used to produce Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy’s most famous wines. A Sangiovese variety – Prugnollo Gentile – is also used for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Canaiolo and Merlot are also grown in the region. Since the rise of the Super Tuscans, we also find Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc here. Most common among the white grape varieties found here are Vernaccia, Trebbiano and Malvasia as well as Vermentino and, increasingly, Chardonnay.
