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 Heidelberg is a beautiful German city I visited first when I used to live in Stuttgart, Germany centuries ago. A visit to San Gimignano last month made me hum an old German song, ‘Ich hab' mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren (I lost my heart in Heidelberg). One of the oldest cities of Italy (it dates back to year 929 AD in records, according to my Guide), known as the city of 100 towers-though actually 72 were built and around a dozen are left now-others have become a part of the structures that came up over the centuries and one can see the evolution of the city through renaissance through the changing style in the old cities buildings which have the original structure well near 1000 years old. It simply blows your mind as you enter the Centro.
Known for amazing history of arts and architecture, it also produces some of the oldest Italian wines. Vernaccia grape (which perhaps came from Liguria) shows its personality in the town with Vernaccia di San Gimignano- the second docg (first one was given to Albana di Romagna in 1987). Although it received its DOC in 1966, the Docg status came its way in 1993. But it has been known to have impressed kings and queens and the top echelons of Tuscan society over the previous seven centuries, according to government records.
I am not the first one and certainly not the last one to have been enamoured with the city (town actually-it has a population of 2000; the extended region where most wineries are located has some 7000 inhabitants). The annual inflow of 2.8 million tourists, according to my local guide who has lived in Florence all her life would be a testimonial to its popularity.
 I was quite amused a dozen years ago when I visited my first Chianti Classico winery, Castello di Verrazzano in Greve-in-Chianti at the conclusion of Vinitaly 2002. My host, Cavaliere Luigi Cappellini had been kind enough to arrange a transport for me to take back to Florence after a splendid visit. The lady driver of the mini-van was an American living in Tuscany for around two decades. ‘I came for a visit to San Gimignano as I had heard about the Vernaccia di San Gimignano being heavenly. I fell so much in love with the wine and the place that I decided not to go back to the US!’ I could understand how she felt as I walked down the Piazza Duomo on the main street to catch the coach taking us to the restaurant at Hotel San Paolo for dinner the evening e arrived in San Gimignano. A warmly dressed young couple were sitting outside the restaurant, engrossed in romantic conversation, sipping Vernaccia di San Gimignano when I was feeling a bit cold despite a pullover and a woolen jacket on top!
No cars are normally allowed within the Centro which is at a height and offers a beautiful view of the city around and vice versa. About an hour’s drive from Florence (less time from Pisa which is 50 kms away and even less from Siena 30 kms away), it is a not-to-be-missed town for any wine lover visiting Tuscany. In fact, about 80% of the wine tourists to Tuscany choose to visit the town, said my guide with a smile of confidence and pride.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano docg
Vernaccia di San Gimignano docg is known to have been produced since the last over seven centuries and is considered Tuscany’s best wine with a character and personality. It is usually dry with medium body but has fruity flavours characterised by shades of honey and peaches. Minerality is an interesting character and at times some of them remind me of Chablis. The wines are very clean and have interesting perfumed aromas. They are meant to drink young-within 2-5 years of the harvest.
Some producers have added oak to enhance the creamy and toasty character. However, of the few I tasted with maturity of over 6-8 years failed to impress and made me feel as if the producers had labored hard to ‘get too much oil of the seeds’- they were just not fresh and the oak flavours prevailed on the palate killing the beauty and freshness of the natural fruit.
 Vernaccia di San Gimignano docg is also available as Riserva with a slightly higher alcohol and with longer ageing. At the Anteprima Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2014 there were 42 Vernaccia from the 2013 vintage-including the one from Agricoltori del Chianti Geografico, a co-operative that exports Vernaccia to India through Ixora Vineyards in Mumbai. There were a few from the 2012and 2011 vintage too. Similarly about a dozen or so Riserva of 2012/11 could also be tasted at the Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea within the Centro but at a lower level.
I tasted a few of these wines at the dinner where I had the pleasure of sitting next to the President of the Consorzio, Letizia Cesani who also owns the Cesani winery, the Mayor of the city of San Gimignano and a couple of producers. She told me that there are 162 producers of Vernaccia di San Gimignano of whom 130 bottle their wines. The Consorzio has 115 members; 70 of them bottle their wines, Letizia tells me as she drives me back to the hotel due to my temporary inability to walk back to the hotel from the main road. She also tells me that although Vernaccia di San Gimignano is internationally very popular, it brings in only half the total revenue to the area. San Gimignano Rosso doc, Chianti doc and Chianti Colli Senesi doc, some IGT wines and a little bit of Vin Santo also add the balance half towards the total wine sales.
 Vernaccia di San Gimignano can get a docg status only if the Vernaccia grapes are grown in the municipality of San Gimignano, in Siena and the wine is made using at least 85% Vernaccia grapes, the balance being non-aromatic white grape varieties but excluding a few banned varieties like Traminer, Müller Thurgau, Moscato Bianco, Malvasia di Candia. Sauvignon and Riesling may be included for a maximum up to a total maximum 10%.
Vernaccia Riserva is allowed from select grapes and requires a maturity for at least 11 months of cellaring in steel or wood and with at least 3 months’ bottle-ageing before release. The maximum yield allowed is 9 tons/hA with a maximum of 70% extraction- 6,300 litres/hA. The vinification, maturation and bottling must all take place within the production area.
A Duet or Duel of two wines
 Palazzo Comunale at Piazza Duomo in the city centre is a historic building with one of the legendry tall towers as an appendage and must-visit tourist attraction. Sala Dente with the beautiful paintings and frescoes comes alive once a year with an interesting tasting that could be categorised as a duet or a duel depending on which colour of your eyes you view it with. The Consorzio brings in 6-7 white wines of one type from different producers in another country and pits them against the same number of Vernaccia di San Gimignano. The tasting takes place every year for the last six years and always puts up the House-full sign. Last year it was Chenin Blanc from Loire Valley. During the seventh edition this year, Grüner Veltliner wines from Austria were selected for tasting and comparison.
Despite the absence of any translation service for the event (the organisers could themselves talk in Italian-English combo for the less fortunate tasters not familiar with the Italian language, who would then be able to get a gist of what is happening ), it was an interesting event in which 6 wines each were presented.
Silvabianca 2011 Il Colombaio de Santa Chiara, La Lastra Riserva 2010, Benedetto Riserva 2009 Fattoria San Donato, Panizzi Riserva 2006, Isabella2004 Riserva San Quirico and Sanice 2001 Cesani, were the 6 wines that represented Team Vernaccia whereas the Team Gru-vee had NIGL, Knoll, Ott, Franz Hirtzberger, Schloss Gobelsberg, and Mantlerhof as the 6 producers from Austria with wines as old as 26 years including single vineyard beauties.
The tasting was extremely interesting, bringing out the difference in character and personality of both these wines which I have often said, are great for the Indian palate, and excellent for even vegetarians with food and as appetisers for all. There are invariably comparisons with such tastings when ‘countries’ are ‘pitted’ against each other. It was a Sophie’s Choice for me to give my verdict on which wine won as I am fond of both of them. They were very close but if I were to pick one winner at a gun point, it would have to be Grüner Veltliner (GV or Gru-vee).
The younger vintages were too close a call and I might have gone for the Vernaccia but as we went on to taste the older wines, the beauty and brain of GVs was evident. They were still fresh, more complex and vivacious, had longer finish and more depth and breadth in general. I feel the organisers should select same or similar vintage for comparison-perhaps in two different categories. When a Mantlerhof 1987 is still singing in your glass and is the last wine you taste, it makes it easier to select the winner. It was clear that Gruener Veltliner can age longer when it is from special grapes and vineyards and Vernaccia in oak may not be the crowd pleaser.
San Gimignano appears to be a small city but has historically, architecturally a lot to offer and a glass or two of Vernaccia di San Gimignano before every visit would make it a dream like visit. I am still wondering if I was there or it was a mere dream-or is it that ‘Ich hab' mein Herz in San Gimignano verloren!’
Subhash Arora
Duel-Duet of Wines Beauty of San Gimignano |