We wanted to let you know that we have been lucky enough to receive a number of very good reviews for our wines recently. Our VV 2015 was awarded 94 points by the prestigious Veronelli wine guide and we also caught the attention of Antonio Galloni (Vinous) and Dr Jamie Goode (Wine Anorak). Montecalvi Chianti Classico 2018 received 93 points…
One of the things we enjoy most at Montecalvi is walking into the cellar to taste from the barrels. We do this regularly to monitor the evolution and quality of the wines. There is no such thing as a fixed recipe for our wines. Every vintage is different and each time we put a blend together there are different considerations.…
Defining the exact moment to harvest is both an art and a science. We keep a close eye on the grapes from veraison (which is the beginning of the ripening process) onwards and, as harvest approaches, we wander through the vineyard sampling the grapes. We are looking for a number of things, but principally sugars, acids and phenolics. First, we…
As the tomato season comes to a close, the flavour and goodness are at their most intense and this is the moment to capture that and preserve it for the long winter ahead. Sugo is, of course, an Italian staple and when you make it yourself it is a world apart from the shop-bought equivalent. The recipe is extremely straight-forward,…
Montecalvi is an organic estate. The key principles of organic farming are rather familiar to us all as we seek to eliminate artificial chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides from our diet and our surrounding environment. It now really matters to many of us that the wine we choose to drink is organic. But it is not just…
This extraordinary year appears to have had an upside; nature has thrived in Tuscany amidst our various degrees of lockdown, confusion and disarray and we are filled with the energy and excitement of harvest at Montecalvi. Ground water levels were well replenished during the winter months and then of course the realities of the pandemic set in during the spring. …
You seem to be both perfectly British and perfectly Italian in equal measure! Do you feel more one or the other? Being half and half, in many ways you end up feeling neither. A true Italian never considers you to be Italian, but to someone British, they will notice something, perhaps a hint of an accent that makes you hard…
We have a large vegetable garden (or orto), which provides us with fresh vegetables all year round. One of the best things about Tuscany is the food – local, fresh, simple and full of flavour, and we are happy to share our recipes with you for the Tuscan fare that we prepare with ingredients from our garden. CAVOLO NERO This…
