Badia A Coltibuono, A Historic Abbey in Chianti Classico
Walking through the historic abbey at Badia A Coltibuono, from the gardens to the underground cellar was an incredible journey and snapshot of the past.
Originally founded in 1051 by St. Giovanni Gualberto, the Vallumbrosan Order of Benedictine monks established Badia a Coltibuono as an abbey, not a winery. However, wine became an integral part of monastic life, and the Vallumbrosans could have been the first to cultivate Sangiovese in Tuscany. The name Coltibuono means “Good Cultivation” or “Good Harvest,” reflecting the crucial role viticulture played in its history.
Today, the estate, located high in the hills of the Chianti Classico commune of Gaiole in Chianti, spans 150 acres of vineyards and 50 acres of olive trees, led by the fifth generation of the Stucchi Prinetti family – Emanuela, Paolo, and Roberto. Sangiovese takes center stage, but the family also cultivates other traditional varieties, including Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Foglia Tonda, Malvasia Nera, Mammolo, Pugnitello, and Sanforte, as well as Trebbiano and Malvasia for Vin Santo. We love these wines for their purity and we even utilize the Chianti Classico Annata for our Italian Wine Maestro course because it’s didactic, showing textbook style when studying Chianti Classico. The Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo, made of 100% Sangiovese is an absolute must-try if given the chance...there’s no other sweet wine like it.
We are super excited to visit again as this will be another stop during our immersive Tuscany study trip from June 2- 8.