San Marino is a microstate in the north-east of the Italian peninsula, between Emilia-Romagna and Marche. It has a total area of just less than 25 square miles (63 square km) and a population of just 33,000.
Because of its diminutive size and population, San Marino's vineyard area and wine production are naturally very small. Despite this, the state's two key agricultural products are wine and cheese. There is a single producer of note, the Consorzio Vini Tipici di San Marino, whose tag-line 'così piccoli, così unici' ('so small, so unique') plays on San Marino's small size.
Naturally, given its proximity to Tuscany (whose easternmost fringes are just 10 miles/15km to the west), the preferred red-wine grape here is Italy's flagship grape variety, Sangiovese. These are typically made in food-friendly styles to accompany the local cuisine, which features large quantities of cheese, ham, beef and rabbit adorned with the traditional Italian aromas of garlic and rosemary. The local dry whites are made mostly from Ribolla and Biancale (the local name for the variety also known as Biancame and Bianchello). These are better suited to the fish dishes garnered from the nearby Adriatic coastline (10 miles/15km to the east). Sweet and sparkling Muscat wines are also made here, from Moscato Bianco. These pair well with the traditional Torta Tre Monti cake, named after the three towers (tre monti) which stand guard over San Marino city.
The climate in San Marino is typical of that in southern Emilia-Romagna (which surrounds it almost entirely), It enjoys mixed Mediterranean and continental influences, meaning warm summers and cool winters. This is just right for successful viticulture, as it allows the vines to ripen their grapes fully during the growing season, and then to shut down fully and recuperate over winter.
