This is the story of how Tuscany became a global wine icon.

In our previous article, we explored how the Etruscans, Romans, monks and pilgrims helped establish Tuscany as one of Europe's oldest wine-producing regions. By the 12th century, however, Tuscany was entering a new chapter. The fortified villages of the Middle Ages had grown into prosperous cities. Trade routes connected the region to the rest of Europe, merchants accumulated wealth, and powerful families began shaping a future that would influence not only Tuscany but all of

To understand Tuscany's wine culture, we need to travel back nearly 3,000 years.