Fun Facts About Brunello di Montalcino

• Must be 100% Sangiovese grapes (same grape used to make Chianti but in a different region).  

• Must be barrel aged for a minimum of 4 years and 4 months in the bottle before being able to be released for sale. 

•  Before selling, the wine must be “tasted” by the Brunello official panel. If the wine does not have the right characteristics of Brunello, they will deny it’s naming and will "demote" it to a Rosso di Montalcino or an IGT wine (Indicatione Geographica Typica). 

• There are 300 producers of Brunello in Montalcino.  

• Of those 300, only 9 are organic producers. (I am on one of those organic vineyards). 

• The cork used for Brunello should be of the highest quality, meaning that it is a bit longer than usual and much more dense.  The ones here at my vineyard cost approximately $1.10 each. 

• Sangiovese grape is susceptible to mold diseases which are easy to get here in Montalcino due to the intense and constant fog for 6 months out of the year.