San Vito Chianti

Tenuta San Vito is located in the rolling hills of the Chianta Colli Fiorentini region, just 18 kilometres from Florence. The quality and authenticity of its wines and olive oil have always been of paramount importance, as has the deep respect for the environment. Furthermore, the development of its agritourism business with holiday-letting rooms and apartments, swimming pool and restaurant, is the fruit of a restoration project that demonstrates San Vito’s resolve to preserve the qualities and characteristics of the traditional Tuscan way of life and architectural style. The winery sits on top the hill of San Vito, surrounded by woods and graced by a small lake. Of their 126 hectares, 20 are planted with olive trees and 34 with grapes. Under the direction of its founder, Roberto Drighi, Tenuta San Vito was planted with specialised vineyards and olive groves from 1960 onwards. Sangiovese grapes are king here. The construction of a cellar and olive press-house subsequently led to the production of the first wines and olive oils. In the early 1980s, thanks to the far-sighted thinking of Laura Drighi, one of Roberto’s daughters, the winery converted its entire cultivation practices to organic farming, and was officially certified as such in 1985. Effectively, since 1982 San Vito has been cultivating its crops according to organic principles, and produces its wines and olive oils without any use of weed-killers, pesticides, or synthetic chemical treatments. Grapes are harvested at the optimum moment, either by hand or by machine, depending on the scale and topography of the vineyard. Roberto invested much time and expense in re-aligning the various plots of vines to the best clones and the most appropriate training/pruning regimes. The winemaker, Attilio Pagli, is Tuscan born and bred with a real feel for the authenticity of the wines in his charge. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, followed by maturation in either glass-lined vats for the more fruit-focused wines (San Vito Chianti) or traditional large Slavonian oak casks and French oak barrels for the premium selections .