Ciao Marchesi Antinori! Where history, art, food and wine all come together.

September was a great month. As we travelled through the Tuscan region we stopped to visit the spectacular winery and vineyards of Italy's most famous and known wine, Marchesi Antinori. 

The winery and vineyards are breathtaking. The Antinori family have been vintners since 1385. With a recent huge investment in their new winery,  built by architect Marco Casamonti from the Archea Architects group, the property is stunning and captivating from the moment you drive up to it. This new property is a reflection of their vision for the future and long term growth to keep the quality and tradition alive. The building is made up of 3 main materials: Terra Cotta - these tiles are empty on the inside to allow for the air to flow and keep the temperature cool, Cor-ten Steel which gives that orange hue once oxidized, and glass to permit natural light to come in and allow you to feel outdoors amongst the vineyards at all times.

Marchesi Antinori prides itself in its family history and works hard to maintain its values through each generation. Currently the 26th generation is running the business, while the 27th generation is involved in the daily activities to start learning and in a few years take over. 

When it comes to wines, you will be sure to find a bottle to your tasting. The Antinori family owns 10 estates in which each one prides itself in its own style. Known for producing 'Super Tuscan' wine, they produce all varieties including white wine, red wine, sparkling wine, vinsanto, and even brandy and grappa! We had the pleasure of tasting their Montenisa Sparkling wine, Chianti Classico Riserva, Pèppoli and Castello della Sala while we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at their restaurant Rinuccio 1180. The name of this restaurant represents the year the journey began for the Antinori family as the first property bought by Rinuccio di Antinori was in 1180. This restaurant is open to the public on a daily basis without the need of you having to visit the winery each time. This is a must if you are ever around Florence. We highly recommend you to tour the winery prior to enjoying a tasty lunch to fully appreciate the experience. But if you only have time for lunch do not miss out on a savory lunch accompanied by great wine and a breathtaking view of their vineyards and the hillsides of Tuscany.

Marchesi Antinorii hosts 2 group tours at a time in which each tour group starts on opposite ends of the winery. Silence is key. It is respected throughout as the winery wants to promote the same respect in a cathedral as the wine deserves the respect. The way this winery was built allows for the light that comes in to cast shadows that give the look and feel of a cathedral. There are 3 types of tours.

Barriccaia: is the most basic tour. Lasting approximately an hour to an hour and a half, the tour ends with a tasting of 3 wines (2 reds and 1 white).

Bottaia: is a smaller grouped tour, lasts 2 to 2 and a half hours as you are guided through more of their oak barrel rooms, a visit to their big barrels and the grand cru tasting room, and ends with a tasting of 3 wines (2 reds and 1 white).

Bottaia Cru: is the same Bottaia tour but includes a lunch at the 1180 restaurant and a tasting of 7 wines.

A very unique feature of this winery is another passion that Alessia Antinori combined with her passion for wine: contemporary art. There are exhibitions within the property 6 months out of the year. After each exhibition, one piece of each artist is left on the property. This gives the property a uniqueness that I have not come across is any other winery. We were lucky to see Tomas Saraceno's exhibition, an Argentine artist. His work was about the representation of life and the connections that link to your life.

We ended our tour watching a 20 minute documentary of the family. A humble, passionate family that inspire to pass on the tradition from generation to generation. "A great wine has a soul, and a soul means having a personality" - Marchese Piero Antinori.

Before we end this post, we want to give a special thank you to Giulia at Antinori for guiding our tour and opening the doors to the history of the Antinori family.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts where we will go into the details of their wine making process, their cellar and our tasting notes on the wine!

Salute!