Vin Santo

For the Greek Santorini wine of a similar name, seeVinsanto.

Vin Santo

A glass of Vin Santo with its characteristicambercolourandcantuccini
Type	Dessert wine
Region of origin	Tuscany,Italy

Vin Santo(Italian:[vinˈsanto];lit. 'Holy Wine') is a style ofItaliandessert wine.Traditional inTuscany,these wines are often made from whitegrape varietiessuch asTrebbianoandMalvasia,althoughSangiovesemay be used to produce aroséstyle known as "Occhio di Pernice" oreye of the partridge.The wines may also be described asstraw winessince they are often produced by drying the freshlyharvested grapeson straw mats in a warm and well ventilated area of the house (however, several producers dry the grapes by hanging on racks indoors). Although technically a dessert wine, a Vin Santo can vary insweetness levelsfrom bone dry (like a FinoSherry) to extremely sweet. While the style is believed to have originated in Tuscany, examples of Vin Santo can be found throughoutItalyand it is an authorised style of wine for severaldenominazione di origine controllata(DOC) andindicazione geografica tipica(IGT).

Origins of the name

The most probable origin of the nameVin Santowas from the wine's use and association with thesacramentof theEucharist.

Although the style of making wine from dried grapes has been around almost as longas wine has been made,there are many theories on how the particular nameVin Santoor "holy wine" came to be associated with this style of wine in Italy. The most probable origin was the wine's historic use in the CatholicMass,where sweet wine was often preferred.One of the earliest references to avinsantowine comes from theRenaissanceera sales logs ofFlorentinewine merchants who widely marketed the strong, sweet wine inRomeand elsewhere. Eventually the termvinsantobecame almost an umbrella name for this style of wine produced elsewhere in Italy. When theGreekisland ofSantorinicame under rule of theOttoman Empire,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 toRussia,where it was used in the Eucharist by theRussian Orthodox Church.

Another claim is that when the island ofSantoriniwas ruled by Venice, packages sent from the island were labelled "Santo" to denote their origin, while their contents were labelled "Vin"; thus the termVinsantowas born.

Other, probablyapocryphal,stories on the name's origin attribute its naming to the work of a 14th-centuryfriarfrom theprovince of Sienawho would use the leftover wine from Mass to cure the sick. The miraculous healing became associated with thesantoor "holy" wine and the nameVin Santowas allegedly born.Another 15th-century story involvesJohn Bessarion,apatriarchof theGreek Orthodox Church.According to legend, at theEcumenical Council of Florenceof 1439 a local Florentine wine calledVin Pretto('pure wine') was served. After trying the wine, Bessarion is said to have liked it and remarked that it was likeXanthos,alluding to the famous straw wine ofThrace(although some sources said he described the wine asXanthoor "yellow" ). The Florentine locals thought they heard the patriarch describe the wine asSantoand they accordingly started promoting the wine as a "holy wine". Another oft-cited theory for the name association is the tradition of startingfermentationaroundAll Saints' Dayand bottling the wine duringEaster week.

Production methods

Barrels used for the ageing of Vin Santo are often marked with theChristian cross.

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 toevaporate.This process ofdesiccationallows thesugars in the grapeto be more concentrated. The longer the grapes are allowed to dry and desiccate, the higher the resultingresidual sugarlevels will be in the wine. Depending on the style of wine desired, the grapes may be crushed and thefermentationprocess started after a few weeks or not till late March. Producers may use astarter cultureofyeastknown as amadrethat 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 thenagedin smalloak barrels.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 ofchestnutinstead 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 largeullageor air space would emerge in the barrel andoxidationtook place. This gave the wine its characteristicamber,but also flavours and traits that may be characterised aswine faults.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. Thisangel's sharestill 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,juniperandcherrywood 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 thatvinegarproducers in theEmilia-Romagnaregion 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

Vin Santo is traditionallypairedwithbiscotti(cantuccini) for dipping into the wine.

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 aroséstyle 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 thebotrytised winesof France and Germany. The wines can even befortifiedwithgrape spiritadded during fermentation, such asPort.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 evenneon orange.The flavours typical of Vin Santo often includenuttyorraisinnotes withhoneyandcreamattributes. In Italy it is traditionally served withbiscotti(cantuccini) that may be dunked into the wine.

Wine regions

For most of the 20th century, Vin Santo was often sold as basicvino da tavola('table wine') 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 theautonomous province of Trento,a dried straw wine made from theNosiolagrape 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

While Vin Santo wines are produced throughout Italy, the vast majority of production takes place in the provinces of Tuscany.

Partial list of Tuscan DOC regions that are permitted to produce a Vin Santo style wine.

• Bianco dell'empolesein Tuscany, located near the town ofEmpolialong theRiver Arno.The wine must have a minimumalcohol contentof 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.
• Bianco Pisano di San Torpe DOCin Tuscany, located in the valleys of theprovince of Pisa.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 DOCin Tuscany, located near the villages ofMontecatiniandPescia.The wine must have a minimum alcohol content of at least 17% and be composed of at least 70% Trebbiano. Malvasia,Canaiolo biancoandVermentinomay 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 DOCin Tuscany, located around the town ofCortona,near the border withUmbria.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 theRiserva.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 DOCin 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 andAmabilewith a minimum alcohol level of 11%. For regular andAmabile Vin Santothe 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 asRiserva.For Occhio di Pernice the wine must be composed of 50–70% Sangiovese, 10–50% ofMalvasia neraand 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 DOCin Tuscany, located around the city ofVolterra.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 DOCin Tuscany, located around the commune ofRufina.Both red and white styles of Vin Santo are produced at a variety of sweetness levels ranging fromSecco(dry),Amabile(slightly sweet) toDolce(very sweet) with a minimum alcohol level of 15.5%. The white styles are made from a 60–80% blend ofChardonnayandPinot 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,andCabernet Franc,10–25% ofMerlotand 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 DOCin Tuscany, the boundary of this DOC overlaps with those for the DOCG wineVernaccia 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%Vernacciaand 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 DOCin Tuscany, the boundary of this DOC overlaps with those of the DOCG wineBrunello di Montalcino.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 asRiserva.
• Val d'Arbia DOCin Tuscany, this DOC includes some of the Chianti zone that extends into theprovince of Siena.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 DOCin 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 asReserva.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.

Chianti DOCs

A bottle of Vin Santo Chianti Classico DOC by Castello di Ama

There are two main DOC regions that cover the production of Vin Santo in the Chianti zone. TheVin Santo del Chianti DOCoverlaps 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 areRufina,Montalbano,Colli-Fiorentini, Colline-Pisani, Colli-Aretini, Colli-Senesi andMontespertoli.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 asRiservastyles.

TheColli dell'Etruria Centrale DOCis 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 abovevino da tavola.There are three distinct styles of Vin Santo that can be produced under the Colli dell'Etruria Centrale DOC label-Occhio di Pernice,AbboccatoandAmabile(also known as Secco). The first style, Occhio di Pernice, is a paleroséstyle 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. TheAmabileandAbboccatostyles related to their sweetness level withAbbocatodesignating a slightly sweet (or "off dry" ) style andAmabiledesignating a wine that is sweeter but not quite as sweet as something that would be labelled asDolce.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 asRiservawine. Both theAmabileandAbboccatowines 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

Vin Santo is served with dessert, generally traditional biscuits.

Offida DOC inMarche,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% ofPasserinawith the remaining 15% coming from local white grape varieties.Trentino DOCis a large province wide DOC covering the wholeautonomous province of Trento.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.

See also

Media related toVin Santoat Wikimedia Commons

• List of dips