Vin Santo, literally "holy wine", is Tuscany's traditional wine for the end of a meal. It is made from grapes left to dry for months, then aged for years in small sealed barrels, and the result is rich, sweet and long-lived. Here is how it is made and how to enjoy it.
What is Vin Santo?
Vin Santo is a Tuscan wine made from dried white grapes and aged in small wooden barrels called caratelli. Under the Vin Santo del Chianti DOC rules it is made mainly from Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca Lunga, which together must make up at least 70% of the grapes. (Vin Santo del Chianti DOC rules) It is best known as a dessert wine, served in small glasses at the end of dinner.
How is Vin Santo made?
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Drying. After harvest, the grapes are laid on woven mats, called cannicci or graticci, or hung up to dry. The Chianti consortium says drying begins in September and can last from three to six months. (Consorzio Vino Chianti) The rules require the grapes to reach a high sugar level before pressing: at least 26%, or 27% for the sub-zones.
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Fermenting and ageing in caratelli. The juice goes into small barrels of no more than 5 hectolitres. The consortium lists sizes of 50, 70 and 100 litres, and occasionally 200, made from chestnut, cherry, acacia, mulberry and some oak.
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Sealing. In the consortium's words, "the casks are filled, leaving a small amount of air at the end, and sealed, often with cement." The wine then ages slowly and undisturbed.
How long is Vin Santo aged?
Under the Vin Santo del Chianti DOC, ageing is complete only on 1 October of the third year after the harvest, or the fourth year for a Riserva. The wine cannot be sold before 1 November of those years. (Vin Santo del Chianti DOC rules) Travignoli ages the Riserva we carry for five years in barrique.
How strong is Vin Santo?
Stronger than most table wines, because the dried grapes are so concentrated. The Vin Santo del Chianti DOC sets a minimum of 15.5% total alcohol, of which at least 13% must be actual alcohol; the rest is the potential alcohol held in the wine's residual sugar. For the sub-zones such as Rufina the minimum total rises to 16%. (Vin Santo del Chianti DOC rules)
Is Vin Santo always sweet?
It is best known as a sweet wine, and the drying process leaves a lot of natural sugar. How sweet a bottle tastes depends on the producer. Ours, from Travignoli, has 75 g of residual sugar per litre, and the winery describes it as succulent, with rich flavours of candied apricot.
What is Occhio di Pernice?
Occhio di Pernice, "partridge's eye", is a rarer Vin Santo made with at least 50% Sangiovese, a red grape. (Vin Santo del Chianti DOC rules)
Where is Vin Santo made?
Across Tuscany. The Vin Santo del Chianti DOC has seven sub-zones: Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Montalbano, Montespertoli and Rufina. Vin Santo del Chianti Classico is a separate denomination. (Vin Santo del Chianti DOC rules)
What do you eat with Vin Santo?
The classic Tuscan pairing is cantucci, the hard almond biscuits that are dipped into the glass. Travignoli, the producer of our bottle, also suggests desserts and cheese, which makes it an easy choice for a holiday table.
What temperature should Vin Santo be served at?
Travignoli recommends 14 to 18°C for the richer Riserva we carry, which lets its honeyed aromas open. Serve it in a small glass: a little goes a long way.
Our Vin Santo from Travignoli
Our Vin Santo D.O.C. Riserva 2015 comes from Travignoli, a historic Tuscan estate. It shows every step described above:
- Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes harvested at the end of September
- Dried naturally on wattle shelves for four to five months, then fermented in wooden kegs
- Aged for five years in barrique, then in bottle
- Candied apricot and honeysuckle; 75 g of residual sugar per litre, 14.5% alcohol
- Can be cellared for up to 40 years. $52.80
For more wines to end a meal, see our dessert pairing collection.
Travignoli also bottles the Tuscan table’s other half: our Super Tuscan I.G.T. Toscana Rosso 2022, from the same estate, for the main course before this one closes the meal.
