I think it is more important to preserve the original taste of our terroir (vineyard environment) than to change our wine style for a particular market. I hope Tolaini wines, which pair well with Korea's barbecue culture, will come closer to Korean consumers.
Tolaini, a winery in Tuscany, Italy, is continuing a stylistic shift after a generational transition. It said it is building on the founder's philosophy while adding a more elegant wine style centered on the Sangiovese variety. Tolaini wines have been imported by Shinsegae L&B for 18 years.
Lia Tolaini of Tolaini held a press briefing on the 4th at House of Shinsegae in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where she introduced the winery's history, philosophy, and key wine lineup. Tolaini is a winery founded by Pier Luigi Tolaini, who died in 2020. It is now led by his daughter, Lia Tolaini, along with her three children.
Lia Tolaini said, "My father preferred wines with a strong, structured style. Among Tolaini's lineup, wines like Picconero, Al Passo, and Valdisanti were the ones he particularly backed," and added, "After I began taking part in running the winery, I started making wines from Sangiovese, and it has now become an important variety for the winery."
Sangiovese is an indigenous red grape variety that represents Tuscany, Italy. It is the key variety in Chianti Classico, Tuscany's representative wine. It is characterized by fruit aromas interwoven with herbs and earthy notes. It is considered a highly expressive variety that shows diverse personalities depending on soil and climate.
Tolaini currently manages about 50 hectares of vineyards divided into three parcels: Montebello, Valenuova, and San Giovanni. The Montebello vineyard sits at about 400 meters above sea level, and Valenuova at about 350 meters. Both vineyards have limestone-rich soils, creating conditions suitable for producing wines with structure and power.
The San Giovanni vineyard sits at about 300–330 meters above sea level and features sandy soils. With good drainage, it offers conditions suitable for growing Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
Tolaini's annual wine production is about 250,000 bottles. The winery uses machines that sort grapes by size and color to inspect the fruit, during which insects, leaves, and stems are removed. Grapes that do not meet quality standards are not used for winemaking.
At the briefing, Tolaini's representative wines such as Chianti Classico Valenuova and Gran Selezione were introduced. Chianti Classico Valenuova blends aromas of black cherry, spices, and licorice, with fresh acidity and well-polished tannins in balance.
Another wine, Gran Selezione, is a single-vineyard wine produced from parcel No. 7 of the Montebello vineyard and is made from 100% Sangiovese. This wine belongs to the highest tier of Chianti Classico and is produced in small quantities.
Recently, Tolaini has also unveiled a new project wine. Melo 700 is produced from vineyards at about 700 meters, one of the higher elevations within the Chianti Classico area. Annual production is around 3,000 bottles. However, depending on climate conditions, there are years when it is not produced at all.
Lia Tolaini, who runs a wine import company in the United States, is also paying attention to changes in the global market. Tolaini said, "Recently, consumers tend to choose better-quality wines rather than drinking large quantities as in the past," and added, "Demand is growing for mid-priced wines rather than wines that are excessively cheap or excessively expensive."