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> Tuscany, or Toscana, was originally called Etruria.
> Located north of Rome, Tuscany encompasses nearly 9,000 square miles and has a population of 3.6 million people. Nearly 6% of the population is foreign-born including Chinese, North African, British and American immigrants.
> Roughly 66% of Tuscany is hills and 25% is mountainous. What’s left (less than 10%) is considered plains.
> Tuscany is bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, Liguria and Emila-Romagna to the north, Umbria and the Marches to the east, and Latium to the south.
> The capital of Tuscany is Florence. At one time, Florence was the banking capital of Europe. Florence is 172 miles north of Rome.
> While early peoples lived in the Tuscan countryside during the bronze and iron ages, the Etruscans were considered the first major civilization in the region. The peak of the Etruscans was during the 7th and 6th centuries BC. Tuscany was absorbed by the Romans during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.
> The Renaissance was born in Tuscany. The era ran from the late 1400s through the 1500s. Italians owe their language, art, literature and cultural identity to Tuscany.
> Wines have been produced and exported from Tuscany since the 7th century BC.
> Three of Italy’s most important wines come from Tuscany: Chianti, Brunello di Mantalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
> The primary red grape of Tuscany is Sangiovese. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and the native Canaiolo are also planted throughout the region. The whites include Trebbiano, Malvasia and Vernaccia along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
> While Sassicaia was the first of the Super-Tuscans, it was the creation of Tignanello by Piero Antinori in 1971 that helped trigger Tuscany’s quality revolution of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
> Tuscany produces some of the world’s finest olive oil. The four varieties widely planted in the region are frantoio, maraiolo, lecciono and pendolino.
> Tuscany was the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante Alighieri and Pinocchio. |
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| The Sorting Table, LLC 1700 Second St. Suite 380 Napa, CA 94559 (707) 603-1460 |
Content and Images ©2007 The Sorting Table, LLC. |
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