Neri from the Marchesi Ginori Lisci family is going to be in New York next week promoting his wines. Neri is a very down to earth guy despite coming from some of the most famous Tuscan noble families. I used to live on a street that was named for his family in Florence, Via Guicciardini, so I always get a kick out of saying his name. The Ginori name has been linked throughout the ages to commerce, politics, the Catholic Church, porcelain and wine. As wool merchants in 1524 they trade-marked their wares with a mark now used for the wine produced today. The Ginori family also has a street in Florence named in its honor. An aspect of their history that is little known is their role in the growth of the Maremma area. A member of the Ginori family, Carlo Andrea, drained the Maremma marshes in the 18th century, making the land suitable for farming and for the Ginori family homes. Until that time, the Maremma was an area filled with swamps. Carlo Andrea Ginori was also responsible for the founding of the porcelain factory in 1737 which continues today.

Luckily for the modern tourist, the Ginori family still runs the Querceto estate in the Maremma. The family’s medieval borgo, Querceto, is located in the Val di Cecina in the Northern Maremma area. Originally from 1208, the castle has been pillaged and rebuilt a number of times. Oddly enough, I recently discovered that a dear old friend rents an apartment in this borgo. Small world.

Today, the family estate has 2000 hectares. Some 700 are planted, 15 for specialized vineyards while 20 hectares are filled with beautiful Tuscan olive groves. The estate area is part of the wine production zone known as Montescudaio, a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC). The Ginori Lisci branch of the family currently makes three wines: Campordigno (Merlot and Sangiovese), Castello Ginori (Cabernet and Merlot) and Macchion Del Lupo (Cabernet and Sangiovese). Ancestor Carlo Andrea was very farsighted when he had the Maremma area drained. Some people might think the world would be a better place without the Super Tuscans. I disagree. I like some super Tuscans and some I do not. I happened to like the Castello Ginori very much. It’s a easy to drink well balanced wine with personality, fruit, soft tannins and a beautiful finish. I also love some purely Sangiovese based wines as well as some blends of international varieties and sangiovese. What I don’t like is the idea that the Super Tuscans are somehow the “better” or “the best wines” from Tuscany. They are part of the offering and I hope that they will always be only part of the Tuscan wine scene.