tuscany and the maremma

Tuscany, one of the seats of Italian civilization, occupies the lands to the north of Rome on the Ligurian Sea, and includes the capital city of Florence, as well as the famed cities of Grosseto, Lucca, Pisa, and Siena, as well as the major port city of Livorno.

The history of Tuscany is the history of Italy. Originally settled by the Etruscans (from whom the name), then conquered by Rome, then by the Ostrogoths, the Lombards, and the Carolingians, it rose to prominence as a Grand Duchy in the Middle Ages and, under the Medici, sparked the Italian Renaissance. The Grand Duchy was abolished by Napoleon, restored after his exile, and eventually in 1860 incorporated into the growing Kingdom of Italy.

Eight Tuscan localities have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the historic Centre of Florence (1982); the Cathedral square of Pisa (1987); the historical centre of San Gimignano (1990); the historical centre of Siena (1995); the historical centre of Pienza (1996); the Val d'Orcia (2004), the Medici Villas and Gardens (2013), and Montecatini Terme (2021).

Nestled in the southwest of Tuscany is the district of the Maremma (latin Maritima, the maritime lands), the region around Grosseto. This region of genely rolling limestone/clay hills is warm and mild, with deep well developed soils. The region was largely malarial swamps and marshes until it was drained by order of Ferdinando I di Medici in the late 1500’s. Today it is one of the breadbaskets of italy, known for olives, wheat, and of course, wine.

seiterre

Founded in 1877 by Gian Batista Rizzi, Seiterre is a family firm that now owns a total of nine superb wine estates throughout northern Italy. Today, 4th-generation brothers Luigino and Claudo Rizzi manage these holdings, including the Poggio Le Capannelle, located on the rolling hill country of the Maremma just outside the town of Civitella Marittima about halfway between Grosseto and Siena.

The estate grows a number of varietals on its 130 acres of vineyard, with a focus on Sangiovese and Vermentino.

the Wines

One of the flagship wines of this estate is their Vermentino “Orizzonte.” Produced in the warm lands of Maremma, in the characteristic, ochre-coloured clayey soils, caressed by the breeze of the nearby sea. Vinified in stainless steel, it is a straw-yellow wine with golden reflections, providing intense notes of acacia flowers and tropical fruits. Superb with fish, chicken or vegetable risotto and lighter pasta dishes, this is the iconic white wine of the southwest of Tuscany.