Sip of the Day

White wine from Tuscany usually means Vernaccia, Vermentino, or Trebbiano. You are not likely to think immediately of Chardonnay. Why would you? Italy is known for its roughly million and one native grapes, so when an international variety like Chardonnay comes along, it either throws everyone for a loop (see: Super Tuscans), or is lost in the sauce. Tenuta di Nozzole is best known for their fantastic Chianti Classico wines, and their white-grape vineyards were originally planted with varieties that were required to be in Chianti Classico before this was phased out of DOCG ruling in 1995. When the winery started experimenting on these vineyards with other varieties in the ‘80s, they discovered that Chardonnay turned out exceptionally well in their Bruniche vineyard. All this to say, when an Italian winery turns out non-traditional wines year after year, you’ll want to pay attention, because it is without doubt going to be excellent like Le Bruniche.