TUSCAN TIPPLES

An expert from the F&B space talks about wines from Tuscany and why they’re regarded as highly as they are

- NIKHIL AGARWAL

Tuscany or Toscana as it is known locally, located in the centre of Italy is perhaps one of the most iconic regions in the world for gastronomy, wine and sheer beauty. Its landscape, made up of rolling hills, castellos (castles) and other remnants of medieval times makes it really easy on the eye. With cities like Florence and Sienna, Tuscany was at the forefront of the arts as well. All this and more make it a must-visit destination for people from across the world who flock to it in astonishing numbers.

Serious food and wine aficionados think of Tuscany’s multiple famous wine regions as the Holy Grail of wine. The wine estates here are a mix of medieval architecture to modern works of art that will have you walking around with your eyes peeled in amazement even before you have had your first sip. On a culinary front, Tuscany has it all, where fresh produce, slow cooking, humble food make it a culinary destination you would not want to miss.

Though Tuscany comes off the tongue so easily we must give individual respect to its equally famous sub-regions that together give Tuscany the position it holds.

The millions that flock to Tuscany have had their fair share of tart and generic Chianti sitting at a tratorria in the Tuscan sun. Those wines are not what we are talking about here. A few decades ago it was about the quantity and not necessarily the quality of the wine; now that has changed significantly. Certainly people from all over the world think of Tuscan reds as the top of the pyramid and in fact so do the people here at home in India. Tuscan red wine is almost a cult.