Bianco dell'Empolese is a white-wine DOC of the Tuscany wine region in central Italy. The title was awarded in 1989, and the wines it covers are made in dry and sweet vin santo (dessert) styles and based on the ubiquitous Tuscan white grape Trebbiano Toscano.
The catchment area covered by the Bianco dell'Empolese title consists of six communes in the west of the Florence province, and lies just south of the Monte Albano ridge (of Chianti Montalbano fame). Cerreto Guidi, Fucecchio, Vinci, Capraia e Limite, Montelupo Fiorentino and Empoli (hence the name Empolese) are the communes in question, all of which lie between Pisa and Florence.
The climate here is typical of Tuscany, with long, bright summer days and a cold winter. The presence of the Monte Albano (a volcanic mountain ridge) just to the north brings some protection from the harsh northern winds which blow down from the Alps and across the Po Basin. Grapes have little problem ripening fully here, even in the higher vineyards. The landscape is equally Tuscan, with rolling, cypress-lined hills dotted with vineyards and orchards.
Although Tuscany is typically known as a red-wine region, the area's whites form a significant part of its wine industry and portfolio of styles. This is supported by the fact that Verncaccia di San Gimignano and Bianco di Pitigliano were among the very first DOCs created (in March 1966).
Dry Bianco dell'Empolese wines are gently aromatic and have the tangy acidity common to many Italian whites. Subtle stonefruit aromas and floral hints can be found in most of these wines, contributing to an overall refreshing style.
Bianco dell'Empolese Vin Santo wines are sweet, golden wines traditionally consumed with biscotti (twice-baked biscuits). The wines are made from shriveled Trebbiano grapes whose sugars, and thus the flavors held within those sugars, become naturally concentrated as they dry out in the months after harvest.
