Vernaccia di San Gimignano is one of Tuscany’s oldest white grape varieties, historically linked to the hills of the municipality of San Gimignano, in the province of Siena. The earliest documented references date back to 1276; in the centuries that followed, the wine was celebrated by writers and prominent figures, including Dante Alighieri and Francesco Redi. The appellation was granted DOC status in 1966 and upgraded to DOCG in 1993, confirming the deep connection between the variety, the territory and tradition.
From an ampelographic point of view, it has medium-sized leaves, which are orbicular or pentagonal in shape, generally trilobed or pentalobed. The bunch is large, elongated and pyramidal in shape, moderately compact, and sometimes features a wing; the berry is medium-sized, almost disc-shaped, with a pruinose skin of medium thickness, yellowish-green in colour and tending towards amber in the parts most exposed to the sun.
Cultivation is concentrated mainly in the hilly terrain around San Gimignano, where climatic conditions and soil types help to define its identity. The wine is characterised by its straw-yellow colour, which takes on golden hues as it ages, and by a refined and penetrating profile, with floral, fruity and mineral notes. On the palate, it is dry, fresh, savoury and harmonious, with a balanced structure and a characteristic almond-like finish. It is a variety capable of evolving over time: the Riserva style particularly highlights the wine’s longevity and complexity.
