Morellino di Scansano Wines, the Beautiful People Who Make Them and Where They Live

In a breathtakingly beautiful little city on a rise not far from the where the coast of Tuscany meets the Atlantic Ocean you will find the home of one of the most wonderful Italian wines, Morellino di Scansano. Image from atouchoftuscany.com

This week at the Pepolino Ristorante in Tribeca I had the opportunity to meet some of the very wonderful people of the Consortium Morellino di Scansano as well as enjoy much delicious wine and Patrizio Siddu and Enzo Pezone's delicious Tuscan cuisine.

The wines of this region are made predominently with the Morellino grape which is a clone of the famous Tuscan grape Sangiovese that is in Chianti and many other world renowned Tuscan wines.

It is thought that name Morellino comes from "Morello" (brown) , after the horses that until recently were ridden by butteri, cowboys, to manage the distinctive Maremma cattle. Or perhaps after the Morello cherry which has an inky dark red color and great tartness and acidity. Every Italian wine grape has a story.

The wine is produced as:

Morellino di Scansano which by the Italian wine laws is not required to be aged and can be released in March after harvest. April is an exciting month to enjoy this fresh and crisp wine.

May is a great time to visit Scansano and surrounding Maremma, "of the sea", a beautiful area along the Tyrrhenian coast which is frequented by celebrities like Mick Jagger, Mario Batali and Mike Mills, a member of R.E.M.

Or, Morellino di Scansano Riservamust be aged in wood for a tleast one year and the wine can be released on the 1st of January two years after the harvest. This produces a deep, rich, flavorful wine.

Perhaps the most well know wine maker of Morellino di Scansano is Elisabetta Geppetti one of the world's most noted woman in wine and first woman to receive the “Winemaker of the Year” award from the prestigious German magazine, Der Feinschmecker Wein Gourmet She was the inaugural chairperson of the Consortium Tutela Morellino di Scansano. At our dinner I met her charming daughter Clara Gentile who was here in the States to promote the great wines along with several other members of the Consortium.

While many of the Consortium wines have yet to find their way to New York, Elisabetta Geppetti Fattoria's Le Pupille Morellino di Scansano is available and a wonderful representation of the region.

During our dinner we tasted enjoyed these wines. Morellino di Scansano Provveditore DOCG 2009, 100% Sangiovese; Bruni Morellino di Scansano Riserva Laire DOCG 2008 85% Sangiovese, 15% Syrah and Azienda Agraria Santa Lucia di Scotto Lorenzo, Morellino di Scansano Tore del Moro DOCG 2008 also Grape varieties: 100% Sangiovese.

My favorite was the Provveditore, and not just because I spent a very pleasant hour talking about Scansano and their wines with the engaging and insightful Cristina Bargagli of Azienda Agricola Provveditore. With the occasional help of some friendly translators we discussed the past, present, and future of their wines.

I loved the bright and exciting personality of her wine. It clearly embodies the deep culture of the region.

I also had the joy of speaking with Giacomo Pondini the current director of the
Consorttium, and Bernardo Guicciardini of the Castello Di Poppiano and Massi di Mandorlia estates as well as Riccardo Pecchioli of Fattoria Mantellassi and Luca Scotto of Santa Luca and Mauro Bruno of Vini Ugolini. I was truly taken by the passionate commitment that these people have to their wines, their country and their fellows in Scansano. It is a truly solid community.