Santa Caterina ~ A truly world class wine from Castello di Albola

our friend Carloalberto

Most Tour operators don't include wines with dinner,  and the one's that do, will most often offer Just a  single glass of "red" or "white" with dinner... And most often these wines are what in Italy is called "Fusco" or bulk wine... wines that here in the US, we most closely associate with "box wine."

At Adventures to Tuscany, we look at it this way: Why would you travel to one of the largest wine producing regions in the world... A region renouned for world class wines.  and drink bland bulk wine?  Our Bars  feature upscale, bottled, corked & sealed wines ... They're not served in water pitchers or carafes... You'll see them on the Bar, corked & sealed with the "tax stamp" and quality designation on the bottle neck, the same as you get them from your wine store !  All our wines are DOC, DOCG, and DOCG Riservas... And occasionally even some DOCG Gran Selziones!  And as you may already know, we don't limit you to a glass of wine with dinner... Our wine bar is "unlimited"... and not just for dinner; When we're at the Villa, our wine bar is open all day and evening till 10pm!  And if you're still going at it, as we're tearing down the bar for the evening, we'll be happy to leave a few bottles out for you! (but just a reminder, mornings can come early, and our Expeditions have itineraries & schedules to stick to...)

 Another of Castello di Albola's outstanding wines;  Santa Caterina Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione takes its name from a single vineyard measuring just over five hectares, (12.4 acres) completely exposed to the south at an average altitude of 550 metres. This vineyard is not far from the Villa...

It is a prestigious parcel due to the composition of the soil – which is rich in galestro (limestone marl) – and the quality of its Sangiovese grapes. They are vinified separately and then aged for a long time via measured use of select woods, yielding a wine that delights the nose and is decisive and long-lasting on the palate: an authentic incarnation of the soul of Castello di Albola. 

The Gran Selezione designation is the very highest designation that an Italian Wine can achieve... To earn this distinction, the wine is required to be made of grapes that are 100% estate grown, with at least 30 months of ageing in oak barrels, and minimum alcohol percentage is 13%. This is a truly world class offering and will be among the many great wines we'll have for you at the Villa! PS: the picture above is our good friend Carloalberto who you'll meet at our Tour & Luncheon at Castello di Albola on Sunday!

Loren Allred is just spectacular in her rendition of this classic!