Vinopolis Wine Club

Castello Verrazzano

The Castle of Verrazzano is located on a hilltop in the Chianti Classico area, the first grape growing and wine producing area in the world to be determined by an official proclamation, made by the grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici in 1716. Its high position, over the Greve valley, was once of strategic-military importance; today it is possible to easily overlook the vineyards which fan out across the slopes to the edges of the wood further down the valley.

The castle was an etruscan then a roman settlement before becoming the property of the Verrazzano family in the VIIth century. Giovanni da Verrazzano, who discovered the bay of new York and the main part of the east coast of America, was in fact born here in 1485. After having undergone changing fortunes over the centuries, the castle has now rediscovered its ancient splendour thanks to the patient work of the present owner, Cavaliere Luigi Cappellini.

There is a great tradition of winemaking here: the "vineyards situated in Verrazzano" are mentioned in a manuscript which dates back to 1170 and is preserved at the abbey of Passignano. The estate has been a member of the Consorzio Chianti Classico since 1924, the year the consurtium was established. Work at the castle is aimed towards the production of high quality wines. This policy is favoured by the following characteristics of the hill of Verrazzano: a) the ground, b) the altitude of the vineyards, c) the climate: average values referring to the wine season (it is from April to September). Sum of temperatures: 36°, period of insolation: 1690 h, quantity of rain: 340 mm.; such conditions involve low yield per hectare (about 45/50 ql of grapes per hectare) and they exalt the refinement, the scent, the body and the sugar gradation of the wine.

The cultivation system aim rigorously at respecting the environment. The fertilisation is completely organic. The weeds are not removed chemically but mechanically. We use "green vintage" as our method of cultivation because of its high quality, it means that while the fruit is growing we discard the bunches of grapes that we think are superfluous. In such a way the fruit will be richer in quality. The harvest is made by hand, in this way only the best fruit is chosen for the wine. The Castle is in the barycentre of the vineyards so that immediately after harvesting the grapes reach the cellar where it is tactfully pressed. The process that transforms grapes into wines is then scrupulously followed in its various phases. The must ferments in small quantities at a controlled temperature and after the fermentation we put the red wine to rest into oak barrels which from time to time are freed from tartar by specialised creaftsmen.

The barrels are placed in old cellars under the castle, protected from thermic excursion. The ageing in bottles gives our wine its particular quality. The Chianti Classico di Verrazzano has the title DOCG which is the most important acknowledgement of quality that the Italian state attributes to wine.