CASTELLO DI BROLIO, one of the oldest wine producers in the world, is situated in the heart of the Chianti Classico region of Italy.The Chianti Classico wine region extends in the country around Siena and includes castles, wine estates and vineyards.

Chianti Wine, like other Tuscan wines, has been produced since Etruscan times. Chianti wine experienced a major decline at the end of the 18th century, as did Italy itself but enjoyed a resurgence due largely to the efforts of Bettino Ricasoli.

As a deeply religious, serious newlywed living in Florence, Ricasoli was overcome by jealousy at a winter ball when his bride danced a little too closely with another young man. He promptly moved his bride Anna and himself to the isolated Castello di Brolio in what is now south Siena, where no Ricasoli had lived for many years. He rebuilt the manor as a permanent home, replanted the vineyards and experimented with different varieties and combinations of grapes. The Brolio vintage 1841 became the standard for today's best Chianti and the "Brolio Ricasoli" label is one of the most prestigious. In the mid 1800s, Baron Bettino Ricasoli formulated the modern method of making Chianti wine by refining the use of grape varieties in the blend and specifying effective vinification techniques. Francesco Ricasoli, the 32nd Barone Brolio, took charge of the winery in 1993. He produces wines of expressive style and harmonious balance, including the 1995 Casalferro, a new super-Tuscan which recently received the highest award from Gambero Rosso magazine.

Brolio / Chianti, Italy


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