Wine Tasting Day Trip to Sovana
A visit to a winery in southern Tuscany
Although I do not have much tolerance for alcohol (the Asian thing..), I love trying different wines from various regions and learning about wine-making. In fact, it is impossible to be indifferent to wine when living in the heart of the famous wine region of Italy! So when I was invited to join a wine-tasting day trip to Sovana, a town approximately 58km Northwest of Orvieto in neighboring Tuscany, I immediately hopped on the wagon. Leading the trip was the friendly local wine dealer equipped with tons of knowledge about the local wine and a charming bar owner of The Blue Bar, where foreigners living in Orvieto often gather to take a break from “speaking Italian.”
The Blue Bar, the favorite gathering place for foreigners and locals
The eight members from various countries - England, Scotland, Brazil, France, Canada, and Italy - shared two cars and headed for Sovana through a winding country road, passing through Pitigliano, a beautiful medieval town built on top of a cliff made of tuff stone, very similar to our town, Orvieto. Before reaching the winery, we stopped by the tiny village of Sovana to enjoy a leisurely walk before reaching the wine glass waiting for us. Both of these towns are worth mentioning - they are listed in the “I Borghi più belli d'Italia”(“The most beautiful villages of Italy”) - I hope to post separate articles on these villages in my future posts.
The village of Pitigliano
The village centre of Sovana
Located just five minutes from the village of Sovana, the winery's name is Fattoria Aldobrandesca. The parent company, Marchesi Antinori, is one of the largest wine companies in Italy, dating back to 1385, and is the 10th oldest family-owned company in the world! It is simply mind-blowing to think that 26 generations of great history are the foundation of this winery….
This particular region of Tuscany, where Fattoria Aldobrandesca is located in the southern interior of Maremma, is blessed with fertile lands characterized by soils of various colors, such as white pumice, yellow tuff, and black volcanic rock. The nearby Argentario peninsula has a very mild microclimate, and the surrounding area is suitable for viticulture. The area is also home to the ancient local grape variety Areaco, which dates back to Etruscan times, and the other variety, Malbec, which origin is in France but is well suited for cultivation in this region.
As we exited the car, we found several bottles of chilled Spumante waiting for us on tables on the beautiful lawn of the winery. We happily sipped the refreshing Spumante, along with the appetizers—local pecorino cheese, prosciutto, and freshly baked focaccia—that kept filling the plates, and chatted about the lovely town of Sovana, which we had visited before arriving at the winery.
With our stomachs lightly full, we received an explanation about the varieties of grapes planted in the vineyards, followed by a tour of the winery's brewery and the cellar. Surprisingly, there was no irrigation system in the vineyard, and when I asked about it, I was told that there is no need for an irrigation system thanks to the mild climate, moderate rainfall, and the soil's ability to retain moisture.
After the tour of the winery, what a surprise! A formal lunch table in the winery’s open dining area was waiting for us!
The first course of ravioli pasta, followed by a ragu of local boar, a salad of refreshing arugula and a homemade ricotta torte made with wild cherries from the yard - what a wonderful treat! The four wines that accompanies the meal were a refreshing Spumante to start, a Rosato made from the Areatico grape to accompany the first course, a hearty Vie Carve Malbec for the meat dish, and a dessert Aleatico Superiore made from the Areatico grape. The finish was, of course, a strong double espresso.
A pleasant conversation about the winery and wine production continued until late in the afternoon when we realized it was time to head back home.
What a lovely day it was…the next time when we sip of any of these wines, the flavor would definitely transport us back to the warm hospitality of the winery's staff and the beautiful, unspoiled landscape of Maremma! Salute!
