Under the Tuscan Sun with Tenuta di Arceno

Our guest this episode is Dr. Pepe Schib Graciani, the Global Brand Ambassador of Tuscany's Tenuti di Arceno. Our conversation was prompted by a student posing the question, "what is a Super Tuscan." It's a simple question that is not so simple to explain, so after a general introduction to Tuscan wine, Pepe Schib joined host Lyn Farmer to talk about the unique wines of Tenuta di Arceno.

Tenuta di Arceno is based at the southeastern end of Chianti Classico in Castelnuovo Berardenga. It is an ancient estate that produces several distinctive wines across two classification levels: a collection of four Sangiovese-based wines classified as Chianti Classico DOCG and then a limited production rosé and two red wines based on so-called international grape varieties classified as Toscana IGT. The estate, purchased by the late Jess Jackson, a visionary American winery owner, consists of 1,000 hectares – that’s 2500 acres. Not all of it is planted to grape vines – much of the land is set aside for native vegetation including olive trees, but the land that is planted to vines is 50 percent Sangiovese and 50 percent international varieties, especially Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Our focus in this conversation is on the wines classified as IGT: Indicazione Geografica Tipico, a designation with fewer regulations that the DOC and DOCG categories. Years ago, the IGT designation was perceived as being inferior to the DOC/DOCG labels but that's no longer true. The looser regulations allowed more experimentation and ti was within this category that we saw the rise of the "Super Tuscans." In our conversation, Pepe Schib (who trained as a marine biologist before discovering his love of wine) brings both the keen analytic mind of a scientist and the passion of an artist to this exploration of this dazzling property – dazzling both in its beauty and in the quality of the wines it produces.

And if, after hearing Pepe's evocative descriptions, you are motivated to learn more about Tenuta di Arceno, you will discover they have a beautiful and comprehensive website at:

https://www.tenutadiarceno.com/en/wine