Vin Santo ("holy wine") is a style of Italian

dessert wine Dessert wines, sometimes called pudding wines in the United Kingdom, are sweet wines typically served with dessert. There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal ...

. Traditional in

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

, these wines are often made from white

grape varieties This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see V ...

such as

Trebbiano Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it ...

and Malvasia, though

Sangiovese Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grap ...

may be used to produce a ''

rosé A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the skin contact method ...

'' style known as "Occhio di Pernice" or eye of the partridge. The wines may also be described as straw wines since they are often produced by drying the freshly harvested grapes on straw mats in a warm and well ventilated area of the house. (However, several producers dry the grapes by hanging on racks indoors.) Though technically a dessert wine, a Vin Santo can vary in

sweetness levels The subjective sweetness of a wine is determined by the interaction of several factors, including the amount of sugar in the wine, but also the relative levels of alcohol, acids, and tannins. Sugars and alcohol enhance a wine's sweetness, while ...

from bone dry (like a Fino

Sherry Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...

) to extremely sweet. While the style is believed to have originated in Tuscany, examples of Vin Santo can be found throughout

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and it is an authorised style of wine for several ''

Denominazione di origine controllata The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...

'' (DOCs) and '' Indicazione geografica tipica'' (IGTs).J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 752 Oxford University Press 2006

Origins of the name

Close up of Folio 189v - The Communion of the Apostles

Although the style of making wine from dried grapes has been around almost as long as wine has been made, there are many theories on how the particular name Vin Santo or "holy wine" came to be associated with this style of wine in Italy. The most likely origin was the wine's historic use in the Catholic

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...

, where sweet wine was often preferred.K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 357, 387-388 Workman Publishing 2001 One of the earliest references to a ''"vinsanto"'' wine comes from the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

era sales logs of Florentine wine merchants who widely marketed the strong, sweet wine in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and elsewhere. Eventually the term ''"vinsanto"'' became almost an umbrella name for this style of wine produced elsewhere in Italy. When the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

island of

Santorini Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira ( Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is t ...

came under rule of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

, the ruling Turks encouraged the island's wine production of a sweet dessert wine made from dried grapes. Over the next few centuries, this wine became known as Vin Santo and was widely exported to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

where it was used in the Eucharist by the

Russian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...

.H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'' pg 155, 414-422 Simon and Schuster 1989 Another claim is that when the island of

was ruled by Venice, packages sent from the island were labelled “Santo” to denote their origin, while their contents were labelled "Vin"; thus the term “Vinsanto” was born. Other, likely

apocryphal Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

, stories on the name's origin attribute its naming to the work of a 14th-century

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...

from the

province of Siena The province of Siena ( it, provincia di Siena, link=no, ) is a province in Tuscany, Italy. Its capital is the city of Siena. Geography The province is divided into seven historical areas: * Alta Val d'Elsa * Chianti senese * The urban are ...

who would use the leftover wine from Mass to cure the sick. The miraculous healing became associated with the ''santo'' or "holy" wine and the name "Vin Santo" was allegedly born.G. Harding ''"A Wine Miscellany"'' 108-110, Clarkson Potter Publishing, New York 2005 Another 15th-century story involves John Bessarion, a

patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in c ...

of the Greek Eastern Orthodox Church. According to legend, at the Ecumenical Council of Florence of 1439 a local Florentine wine called ''Vin Pretto'' (pure wine) was served. After trying the wine, Bessarion is said to have liked it and remarked that it was like Xanthos, alluding to the famous straw wine of

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to ...

, (though some sources said he described the wine as ''Xantho'' or "yellow"). The Florentine locals thought they heard the patriarch describe the wine as ''Santo'' and they accordingly started promoting the wine as a "holy wine". Another oft-cited theory for the name association is the tradition of starting

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...

around All Saint's Day and bottling the wine during Easter week.

Production methods

After the grapes destined for Vin Santo are harvested in September or October, they are laid out on straw mats, often under rafters or staircases. They are kept in warm, well ventilated rooms that allow the moisture in the grape to

evaporate Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase. High concentration of the evaporating substance in the surrounding gas significantly slows down evaporation, such as when humi ...

. This process of

desiccation Desiccation () is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic (attracts and holds water) substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container. ...

allows the sugars in the grape to be more concentrated. The longer the grapes are allowed to dry and desiccate, the higher the resulting

residual sugar The subjective sweetness of a wine is determined by the interaction of several factors, including the amount of sugar in the wine, but also the relative levels of alcohol, acids, and tannins. Sugars and alcohol enhance a wine's sweetness, whi ...

levels will be in the wine. Depending on the style of wine desired, the grapes may be crushed and the

process started after a few weeks or not till late March. Producers may use a

starter culture A fermentation starter (called simply starter within the corresponding context, sometimes called a mother) is a preparation to assist the beginning of the fermentation process in preparation of various foods and alcoholic drinks. Food groups wh ...

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constit ...

known as a ''madre'' that includes a small amount of finished Vin Santo from previous years production. It is believed that this older wine can help jump start the fermentation process and also add complexity to the wine. After fermentation the grapes are then aged in small

oak barrels Oak is used in winemaking to vary the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of wine. It can be introduced in the form of a barrel during the fermentation or aging periods, or as free-floating chips or staves added to wine fermented in a vess ...

. In many DOC regions, the wines are required to age for at least 3 years though it is not uncommon for producers to age their wines for 5 to 10 years. Traditionally the barrels were made of

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrel ...

instead of oak, which contributed high amounts of wood tannins and was very porous which promoted excessive evaporation in the barrel. Under this same traditional style of winemaking, a large ullage or air space would emerge in the barrel and

oxidation Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or ...

took place. This gave the wine its characteristic

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In M ...

but also flavours and traits that may be characterised as

wine faults A wine fault or defect is an unpleasant characteristic of a wine often resulting from poor winemaking practices or storage conditions, and leading to wine spoilage. Many of the compounds that cause wine faults are already naturally present in wine ...

. Towards the end of the 20th century, more producers began switching to oak barrels while maintaining the tradition of not topping up the barrels and filling in the ullage space. This

angel's share A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, u ...

still produces some level of oxidation, though not as severe as the style was historically made. Modern winemaking technique also calls for more temperature control and keeping the wine in rooms with a consistent temperature that promotes more fresh flavours in the wine and fewer faults. Some producers will still use non-oak barrels, such as chestnut,

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arc ...

and cherry wood and may even blend batches of Vin Santo aged in different wood barrels together. This has the potential of giving the wines more layers of complexity in much the same way that

vinegar Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to eth ...

producers in the

Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...

region use different wood types to add complexity to their vinegar. As a fall back, if their wines become too oxidised or do not develop the way the producer wishes, some Vin Santo may be intentionally converted into vinegar that is very desirable in the culinary market.

Wine styles

The styles, colour, sweetness and quality of Vin Santo can vary widely depending on the grape varieties and production methods used to make the wine. While white grapes, such as Trebbiano and Malvasia in Tuscany, are most widely used, red grape varieties (such as Sangiovese) can be used to produce a ''rosé'' style wine. When red grape varieties are used, the wine is often labelled as Occhio di Pernice, which has its own DOC classification in several regions of Italy. The wines can be made to fit any style of sweetness levels from bone dry, almost Fino Sherry-like, to extremely sweet and on par with the botrytised wines of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. The wines can even be

fortified A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere' ...

with grape spirit added during fermentation, like

Port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

. These fortified examples are usually labelled as Vin Santo Liquoroso. The colour of wine Vin Santo can range from a pale to dark amber to even neon orange. The flavours typical of Vin Santo often include nutty or

raisin A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the ...

notes with

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

and

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

attributes. In Italy it is traditionally served with

biscotti Biscotti (; ; en, biscuits), known also as cantucci (), are Italian almond biscuits that originated in the Tuscan city of Prato. They are twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, crunchy, and may be dipped in a drink, traditionally Vin Santo. Name ...

( cantuccini) that may be dunked into the wine.

Wine regions

For most of the 20th century, Vin Santo was often sold as basic '' vino da tavola'' due to Italian wine authorities' difficulties in classifying the many different styles of the wine. Today most of the major Italian wine producing regions have their own DOCs for specific Vin Santo wines produced in those areas. While the style is traditionally associated with Tuscany, examples can be found on the international wine market from throughout Italy. In the

Trentino Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...

region, a dried straw wine made from the Nosiola grape is popularly labelled as Vino Santo. A noticeable difference between the Trentino and Tuscan examples is that the Trentino wines are usually less oxidised due to the wines regularly being "topped up" to prevent a large ullage.

Tuscan DOCs

Partial list of Tuscan DOC regions that are permitted to produce a Vin Santo style wine. *Bianco dell'empolese in Tuscany, located near the town of

Empoli Empoli () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, about southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno in a plain formed by the river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Roman times. The comm ...

along the

Arno river The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a so ...

. The wine must have a minimum alcohol content of 11% and be composed of at least 80% Trebbiano with the remaining 20% composed of local white grape varieties. The wine must be aged for at least 3 years before it can be released on the market.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pp. 118–217 Firefly Books 2004 * Bianco Pisano di San Torpe DOC in Tuscany, located in the valleys of the Pisa Province. The wine must have a minimum alcohol content of 16% and be composed of at least 75% Trebbiano with other local red and white grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 25%. The wine must be aged in wood barrels for at least 4 years prior to release. * Bianco della Valdinievole DOC in Tuscany, located near the villages of Montecatini and

Pescia Pescia () is an Italian city in the province of Pistoia, Tuscany, central Italy. It is located in a central zone between the cities Lucca and Florence, on the banks of the river of the same name. History Archaeological excavations have sugges ...

. The wine must have a minimum alcohol content of at least 17% and be composed of at least 70% Trebbiano. Malvasia,

Canaiolo bianco Drupeggio (also known as Canaiolo bianco) is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Central Italy wine regions of Tuscany and Orvieto. The grape is often confused for the white Tuscan variety Vernaccia di San Gimignano,J. Robinson ...

and Vermentino may composed up to 25% with other local white grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 5%. The wines must be aged for a minimum of 3 years in wood barrels prior to release. * Cortona DOC in Tuscany, located around the town of

Cortona Cortona (, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. It is the main cultural and artistic centre of the Val di Chiana after Arezzo. Toponymy Cortona is derived from Latin Cortōna, and from Etruscan 𐌂𐌖� ...

near the border with

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

. Both a regular Vin Santo and Occhio di Pernice style are permitted in this DOC region. The wines must have a minimum alcohol level of 11% with the regular Vin Santo composed of at least 85% Sangiovese with other local grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 15%. The wine must be aged for at least 3 years prior to release, with wines aged for at least 4 years permitted to bear the ''Riserva''. For Occhio di Pernice, the wine must be composed of at least an 80% blend of Sangiovese and Malvasia with other local grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 20%. The ageing requirements for this style of wine in the Cortona DOC is one of the longest for any style of Vin Santo with a required 8 years of ageing needed before the wine can be released on the market. * Monteregio di Massa Marittima DOC in Tuscany, located in the northwest of the region this is one of Tuscany's most internationally known areas for Vin Santo. Several styles of Vin Santo are permitted here, including Occhio di Pernice and ''Amabile'' with a minimum alcohol level of 11%. For regular and ''Amabile Vin Santo'' the wine must be composed of at least 70% Trebbiano and Malvasia bianco with other local white grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 30%. The wine must be aged for at least 3 years prior to release, with wines aged for a minimum of 4 years permitted to be labelled as ''Riserva''. For Occhio di Pernice the wine must be composed of 50–70% Sangiovese, 10–50% of

Malvasia nera Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. I ...

and no more than 30% of other local red grape varieties with no white grape varieties permitted at all. The wine must be aged for at least 3 years prior to release. * Montescudaio DOC in Tuscany, located around the city of

Volterra Volterra (; Latin: ''Volaterrae'') is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC and it has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods. History Volt ...

. The wines must have a minimum alcohol level of at least 17% and be composed of 70–85% Trebbiano, 15–30% blend of Malvasia and Vermentino with a maximum of 10% for other local white grape varieties. * Pomino DOC in Tuscany, located around the commune of

Rufina Rufina is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about east of Florence. Rufina borders the following municipalities: Dicomano, Londa, Montemignaio, Pelago, Pontassieve, Pra ...

. Both red and white styles of Vin Santo are produced at a variety of sweetness levels ranging from ''Secco'' (dry), ''Amabile'' (slightly sweet) to ''Dolce'' (very sweet) with a minimum alcohol level of 15.5%. The white styles are made from a 60-80% blend of

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new ...

and Pinot blanc, up to 30% Trebbiano and up to 15% of other local white grape varieties. The reds can be composed of 60–75% Sangiovese, 15–25% blend of Canaiolo,

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon ...

, and

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being u ...

, 10-25% of

Merlot Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

and up to 15% of other local red grape varieties. Both the red and white styles of Vin Santo must be aged a minimum of 3 years in wood prior to release. * San Gimignano DOC in Tuscany, the boundary of this DOC overlaps with those for the DOCG wine Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Both a regular white Vin Santo and an Occhio di Pernice are permitted with minimum alcohol levels of at least 11.5%. Regular Vin Santo must be composed of at least 50% Malvasia, 30% Trebbiano, up to 20% Vernaccia and up to 10% of other local grape varieties. The Occhio di Pernice must be composed of 70–100% Sangiovese with other local red grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 30%. Both styles need to be aged for at least 3 years prior to release. * Sant'Ántimo DOC in Tuscany, the boundary of this DOC overlaps with those of the DOCG wine

Brunello di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino is a red DOCG Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, in the province of Siena, located about 80 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. Brunello, a diminutive of Bruno ( ...

. Both a white and Occhio di Pernice style are permitted with a minimum alcohol level of 11.5%. For the white styles a blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia bianco must compose at least 70% of the wine with other local white grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 30%. The Occhio di Pernice styles are made from 50 to 70% Sangiovese, 30–50% Malvasia nera and up to 20% of other local red grape varieties. Both styles of wines must be aged for at least 3 years with the wines that have received at least 4 years of ageing permitted to label themselves as ''Riserva''. * Val d'Arbia DOC in Tuscany, this DOC includes some of the Chianti zone that extends into the Siena Province. The wine must have a minimum alcohol level of 17% and be aged for at least 3 years in wood. The wine is composed of 75–85% Trebbiano, 15-25% Malvasia and up to 15% of other local white grape varieties. * Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC in Tuscany, like the Sant'Ántimo DOC the boundaries for this DOC overlaps with those of Brunello di Montalcino but with different restrictions on wine production. The white Vin Santo must be composed of a blend of at least 70% Grechetto, Trebbiano and Malvasia with other local white grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 30%. The wine is then aged for a minimum of 3 years with those aged for at least four permitted to be labelled as ''Reserva''. The Occhio di Pernice is composed of at least 50% Sangiovese with other local grape varieties permitted to fill in the rest of the blend. The wine is aged for a minimum of 8 years prior to release.M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 165 Hungry Minds 2001

Chianti DOCs

There are two main DOC regions that cover the production of Vin Santo in the Chianti zone. The Vin Santo del Chianti DOC overlaps with the entire Chianti zone and includes nearly every style and sweetness level of Vin Santo produced in Tuscany. Most of the Vin Santo that is sold on the international wine market is produced under this DOC designation. As with red Chianti wine, several village are permitted to add their names on the wine label as sub-zones. These sub-zones are

, Montalbano, Colli-Fiorentini, Colline-Pisani, Colli-Aretini, Colli-Senesi and Montespertoli. White Vin Santo must have a minimum 16% alcohol level and is composed of at least a 70% blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia with other local white grape varieties permitted to make up the remaining 30%. The Occhio di Pernice style must have a minimum alcohol level of 17% and is composed of 50-100% Sangiovese with other local white or red grape varieties permitted to make up to 50% of the remaining amount. The wines are to be aged a minimum of 3 years prior to release with wines aged for at least 4 years eligible to be labelled as ''Riserva'' styles. The Colli dell'Etruria Centrale DOC is located within the geographical boundaries of the Chiant zones this DOC is a "catch-all" designations for alternative styles of wines that would otherwise not qualify for anything above ''vino da tavola''. There are three distinct styles of Vin Santo that can produced under the Colli dell'Etruria Centrale DOC label-Occhio di Pernice, ''Abboccato'' and ''Amabile'' (also known as Secco). The first style, Occhio di Pernice, is a pale ''rosé'' style wine made from at least 50% Sangiovese with a mix of local red and white grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 50%. The wine must have a minimum alcohol level of at least 10.5% and be aged for at least 3 years prior to release. The ''Amabile'' and ''Abboccato'' styles related to their sweetness level with ''Abbocato'' designating a slightly sweet (or "off dry") style and ''Amabile'' designating a wine that is sweeter but not quite as sweet as something that would be labelled as ''Dolce''. These wines must have a minimum alcohol level of 15% and be aged for at least 3 years prior to release. If a Vin Santo is aged for 4 years, it qualifies to be labelled as ''

Riserva Reserve wine is wine of a higher quality than usual, a wine that has been aged before sale, or both. Traditionally, winemakers would reserve some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately, coining the term. In some countries the use of t ...

'' wine. Both the ''Amabile'' and ''Abboccato'' wines must be composed of at least a 70% blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia with local grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 30%.

Related DOCs

Offida DOC in

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

, includes 19 comuni within the region but only 2 are allowed to produce Vin Santo. The wine must have a minimal alcohol content of 12% and be aged for at least 3 and half years prior to release. The wine must be composed of at least 85% of Passerina with the remaining 15% coming from local white grape varieties.
Trentino DOC is a large province wide DOC covering the entire province of

. The Vino Santo sub-zone (not to be confused with Vin Santo wine) covers the Valle dei Laghi area, using 100% Nosiola grapes air-dried for up to 6 months when they become affected by noble rot. Vinification takes up to 3 years to reach 12-13% abv. Most producers age the wine for 7–10 years but the minimum is 3 years.

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline Dessert wine Wines of Tuscany