Region: Tuscany

Zone:

Cortona DOC

Everyone who's seen the film version of Frances Maye's novel, "Under the Tuscan Sun", has surely been taken with the beautiful Tuscan landscape's rolling ridges, valleys, olive groves, vineyards and rustic mansions with their charming decay .

The movie was filmed in and around the beautiful mountain city, Cortona, situated in the southern part of Tuscany, slightly north of Lago Trasimeno. The city has a beautiful view over the Chiana valley in the Arezzo province.

As is the case with many other Italian cities, Cortona can also boast a history that dates back to the Etruscans. The area is virtually teeming with interesting, historical and archeological sites, and that's putting it mildly, and the city's Etruscan museum is absolutely worth a visit.

The wine producing tradition also dates back to the Etruscans, even though the different grape varieties are primarily international. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Gamay, Pinot and Chardonnay dominate, but there's also room for the Tuscan Sangiovese.

Thanks to a solid effort to stabilize a homogenous production using new techniques, Cortona received its DOC in 1999. The appellation covers fields in the Cortona comune, and several are beautifully placed at an altitude of over 2,700 feet.

Read more about the wines from Cortona DOC by clicking i the top menu in the right side.