Valdinievole is a lesser-known but regionally typical DOC of Italy's most famous wine region, Tuscany. The title was granted in 1976. Producing a rosso (red), a bianco (white), a sweet vin santo and a varietal Sangiovese (the archetypal wine portfolio for a Tuscan DOC), the Valdinievole has its bases covered.
The Val di Nievole after which the DOC is named is the valley of the Nievole river, located in the south-western corner of the Pistoia province. The word Nievole is derived from the Latin nebula ('fog') and is well suited to this area, whose autumn mornings are reliably foggy. It almost seems a shame that Nebbiolo, whose name shares this etymology, isn't grown here. To the east of the valley is the Montalbano ridge (at the northern edge of the Chianti viticultural zone, where Chianti Montalbano is made) and just to the north is Montecarlo.
As might be expected of any traditional Tuscan DOC, its Valdinievole Bianco is largely based (at a miminum of 70%) on Trebbiano Toscano, while Valdinievole Rosso relies on two of Tuscany's favorite red wine grapes: Sangiovese (at a minimum of 35%) and Canaiolo Nero. Both wines have superiore variants, made under more stringent production conditions. To earn the right to the mention superiore, these wines must be made from vineyards managed to lower yields (about 15% lower than for the standard wines) and must acquire an extra 0.5% final alcohol by volume.
Interestingly, the DOC regulations for Valdinievole's sweet vin santo wine uses the vinsanto spelling of the Greek island of Santorini, rather than the traditional Italian spelling of vin santo. Whatever the spelling used, the wines the term describes are undeniably Tuscan and based on the classic Malvasia/Trebbiano blend. For more information on vin santo wines and how they are made, please see vin santo.
