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Valdarno: Tuscany off the beaten track

Diverting from the usual wine routes in Tuscany, Stephen Brook finds a warm welcome in a low-key region that is home to some high-profile names. He introduces an area that may be unfamiliar to many Chianti lovers, and recommends wines from four of its top producers

‘Don’t forget my shoe size!’ shouted my wife, as I left home on my way to Heathrow airport for my flight to Florence. This unusual injunction was occasioned by the fact that three out of the four estates I was about to visit were owned by fashion tycoons, and two of them by shoe designers.

Valdarno di Sopra (Valdarno for short) is a relatively new Tuscan DOC that was approved in 2011. It lies just east of the Chianti Classico zone, stretching across the Arno river in the direction of Arezzo. It is the first Italian DOC to be composed entirely of organic estates.


Best of the top Valdarno estates: Brook’s pick

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