Press Area

History of Vernaccia

di San Gimignano

Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the native grape variety par excellence, the great interpreter of San Gimignano’s viticulture since the Middle Ages.

Over the last fifty years, thanks to the strong development of both viticultural and oenological research and the commitment of San Gimignano’s winegrowers, who have invested resources, care and knowledge, Vernaccia di San Gimignano has succeeded in renewing itself, enhancing its uniqueness and producing a modern wine with a strong identity and character.

To trace the history of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, we need to take a step back into history, to the Middle Ages:

1276
The “ordinamenti delle gabelle” (levy regulations) of the Commune of San Gimignano mention the imposition of a tax of three “soldi” for anyone selling a “soma di Vernaccia” outside the communal territory…….
1321
Deeds are found describing the vineyards in the territory of San Gimignano: “Narduccio, son of the late Saladuccio, purchases some plots of land in the Casale vineyard, keeping the vegetable garden and the ploughed land for Vernaccia for himself”….
1468
Ludovico il Moro, Lord of Milan, demands 200 flasks of Vernaccia from the Commune of
San Gimignano for the wedding of a Visconti with Isabella, daughter of the King of Naples.
1541
Sante Lacerio, bottler to Pope Paul III Farnese, after having asked the Commune for eighty flasks of Vernaccia, writes a letter expressing his regret that art and science are cultivated too much in San Gimignano to the detriment of Vernaccia, which “…is a perfect drink for Gentlemen, and it is a great pity that this place does not make a lot of it….”.
1610
Francis Scott, author of the first Travel Guide to Italy for travellers of the time, describes San Gimignano as follows: “…. a particular town because it produces very fine Vernaccia wine and is well decorated with splendid temples”.
1768
Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti, naturalist and physician, botanist and historian of science writes about Vernaccia: “it has so little colour that it seems to be water, and it is gentle on the palate, but does not arouse a sensation of great flavour, so that when tasted it seems to be a very light wine, while lighting a great fire in the stomach”.
1815
Ignazio Malenotti, academician of the Georgofili, in his “best seller” of the time, the “Manuale del vignaiolo Toscano” (Manual of the Tuscan Winegrower), laments the fact that there are no longer any vineyards in San Gimignano planted with Vernaccia alone, with all of them being mixed with other vines to “make common wine”, and calls for the production of Vernaccia in purity, describing the traditional methods of vinification of the ancient wine.
1966
Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the first Italian wine to obtain the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Designation of Controlled Origin).
1993
The Consortium applies for and obtains the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Designation of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin), the highest recognition under current winegrowing legislation.
1200
It would appear that a certain Vieri de’Bardi brought Vernaccia to San Gimignano from the then distant Liguria…….
1477
The Commune of San Gimignano, seeing the requests for Vernaccia from those in power, appoints two official tasters to search for “the best and well-conditioned” Vernaccia wine.
1465
Vernaccia gleams in the glasses of the wedding of Bernardo Rucellai with Nannina Medici, sister of the more famous Lorenzo the Magnificent.
1308-1320
In his Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri mentions only one wine and that is Vernaccia: In Canto XXIV he sends Pope Martin IV to Purgatory to be punished for sins of gluttony: in particular …the eels of Bolsena drowned in Vernaccia………..
1565
Vernaccia appears in Florence, at Palazzo Vecchio: Giorgio Vasari painted the allegory of “San Gimignano and Colle Val d’Elsa”, represented by “a young satyr drinking the Vernaccia of that place”, on a panel in the Salone de’500 at Palazzo Vecchio……
1643
Michelangelo Buonarotti “the younger” writes the verses that clearly identify the characteristics of Vernaccia at that time: …kisses, licks, bites and pricks, and stings……
1787
The hospital of Santa Fina in San Gimignano boasts a “Vernaccia vineyard” among its properties.
1931
Carlo Fregola, Regent of the Ambulant Chair of Agriculture in Colle Val D’Elsa, is the first to be convinced and tries to convince the farmers of San Gimignano to understand the importance of the attempt to restore Vernaccia’s ancient consideration because the product really is remarkable…..
1972
The Consorzio della Vernaccia di San Gimignano is founded on 3 July 1972, bringing a new and incisive impetus to production, which grows in both quantity and quality.
2010
The Consortium applies for and obtains substantial amendments to the production regulations, allowing the winegrowers of San Gimignano to produce an authentic yet modern, unique and unrepeatable wine.They are the first production regulations for an Italian wine that explicitly exclude the use of certain grape varieties that would alter the product’s distinctive characteristics.
1200
It would appear that a certain Vieri de’Bardi brought Vernaccia to San Gimignano from the then distant Liguria…….
1276
The “ordinamenti delle gabelle” (levy regulations) of the Commune of San Gimignano mention the imposition of a tax of three “soldi” for anyone selling a “soma di Vernaccia” outside the communal territory…….
1308-1320
In his Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri mentions only one wine and that is Vernaccia: In Canto XXIV he sends Pope Martin IV to Purgatory to be punished for sins of gluttony: in particular …the eels of Bolsena drowned in Vernaccia………..
1321
Deeds are found describing the vineyards in the territory of San Gimignano: “Narduccio, son of the late Saladuccio, purchases some plots of land in the Casale vineyard, keeping the vegetable garden and the ploughed land for Vernaccia for himself”….
1468
Ludovico il Moro, Lord of Milan, demands 200 flasks of Vernaccia from the Commune of San Gimignano for the wedding of a Visconti with Isabella, daughter of the King of Naples.
1465
Vernaccia gleams in the glasses of the wedding of Bernardo Rucellai with Nannina Medici, sister of the more famous Lorenzo the Magnificent.
1477
The Commune of San Gimignano, seeing the requests for Vernaccia from those in power, appoints two official tasters to search for “the best and well-conditioned” Vernaccia wine.
1541
Sante Lacerio, bottler to Pope Paul III Farnese, after having asked the Commune for eighty flasks of Vernaccia, writes a letter expressing his regret that art and science are cultivated too much in San Gimignano to the detriment of Vernaccia, which “…is a perfect drink for Gentlemen, and it is a great pity that this place does not make a lot of it….”.
1565
Vernaccia appears in Florence, at Palazzo Vecchio: Giorgio Vasari painted the allegory of “San Gimignano and Colle Val d’Elsa”, represented by “a young satyr drinking the Vernaccia of that place”, on a panel in the Salone de’500 at Palazzo Vecchio……
1610
Francis Scott, author of the first Travel Guide to Italy for travellers of the time, describes San Gimignano as follows: “…. a particular town because it produces very fine Vernaccia wine and is well decorated with splendid temples”.
1643
Michelangelo Buonarotti “the younger” writes the verses that clearly identify the characteristics of Vernaccia at that time: …kisses, licks, bites and pricks, and stings……
1768
Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti, naturalist and physician, botanist and historian of science writes about Vernaccia: “it has so little colour that it seems to be water, and it is gentle on the palate, but does not arouse a sensation of great flavour, so that when tasted it seems to be a very light wine, while lighting a great fire in the stomach”.
1787
The hospital of Santa Fina in San Gimignano boasts a “Vernaccia vineyard” among its properties.
1815
Ignazio Malenotti, academician of the Georgofili, in his “best seller” of the time, the “Manuale del vignaiolo Toscano” (Manual of the Tuscan Winegrower), laments the fact that there are no longer any vineyards in San Gimignano planted with Vernaccia alone, with all of them being mixed with other vines to “make common wine”, and calls for the production of Vernaccia in purity, describing the traditional methods of vinification of the ancient wine.
1931
Carlo Fregola, Regent of the Ambulant Chair of Agriculture in Colle Val D’Elsa, is the first to be convinced and tries to convince the farmers of San Gimignano to understand the importance of the attempt to restore Vernaccia’s ancient consideration because the product really is remarkable…..
1966
Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the first Italian wine to obtain the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Designation of Controlled Origin).
1972
The Consorzio della Vernaccia di San Gimignano is founded on 3 July 1972, bringing a new and incisive impetus to production, which grows in both quantity and quality.
1993
The Consortium applies for and obtains the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Designation of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin), the highest recognition under current winegrowing legislation.
2010
The Consortium applies for and obtains substantial amendments to the production regulations, allowing the winegrowers of San Gimignano to produce an authentic yet modern, unique and unrepeatable wine. They are the first production regulations for an Italian wine that explicitly exclude the use of certain grape varieties that would alter the product’s distinctive characteristics.