Orcia is a DOC of the famous Tuscany region in central Italy. Inaugurated in the year 2000, Orcia ranks among the younger DOCs in this traditional and historic wine region, and is yet to earn itself a name with anything like the prestige of Chianti or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
The Orcia vineyard areas sit in the south-east of Tuscany, between those of the equally recent Montecucco and Grance Senesi DOCs (created in 1998 and 2010 respectively). The main production areas are within the communes of Castiglione d'Orcia, Pienza, Radicofani, San Giovanni d'Asso, San Quirico d'Orcia, Buonconvento and Trequanda. This creates a catchment area which spans more than 30 miles (50km) north to south, the largest coverage of any DOC in Tuscany. It even covers parts of the Montalcino commune, of Brunello di Montalcino fame.
Orcia wines come in four key styles (tipologie in Italian): a straight red (rosso), an early-drinking red novello, a standard white (bianco) and a sweet, golden vin santo.
The Trebbiano grape variety is at the heart of the DOC's white wines, accompanied by Malvasia Bianca for the Orcia Vin Santo. Its red counterpart is Sangiovese, as might be expected for a Tuscan DOC. Together, these three grapes are behind the majority of Tuscany's wines, so Orcia does little to surprise in this regard. However, producers in the DOC have begun to experiment with popular 'international' varieties like Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, both as varietal wines and in blends.
More information about Orcia can be found at the Consorzio del Vino Orcia website.
