Wine Sponsor: Capezzana
By Brenna Boone
Capezzana vineyard is one of the wine sponsors that have donated wine to be featured at our final dinner at the James Beard Foundation on October 29th. The history of the grapes at the Capezzana vineyard date back to over 3000 years ago in the pre-Roman era. The vineyard was named in the Roman times and there are written records of the vineyard that date back to 804 A.D..
Olives are also grown at Capezzana and pressed into olive oil. The vineyard has been controlled by a few different Tuscan families including the Biscotti, related to the Madici, and the Marchesi Bourbon del Monte and is currently run by the Bonacossi family. There are two different types of wines from Capezzana vineyards that we will be serving at the dinner on October 29th.
The first is called Barco Reale D.O.C. and is primarily made of Sangiovese grapes. Barco Reale D.O.C. also has Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and a small amount of Cabernet Franc and Canaiolo. The vintage we will be serving is from 2014, but the first vintage dates back to 1984. This wine is fermented in steel tanks as apposed to oak barrels. The wine has a sweet, ample, elegant, and very intense flavor with a fruitiness and light tones of oak. This wine goes very well with most past dishes as well as red and white meats.
The second wine we will be serving from Capezzana vineyards is a 2012 Villa Di Capezzana D.O.C.G.. The first vintage of this wine dates back to1925. This wine is also primarily made up of Sangiovese grapes. There is also a significant amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a deep ruby red color and smells of redness with sweet, fruity, and spicy aromas. Villa Di Capezzana tastes soft and has dense, sweet tannins and a well balanced acidity. All of the wines will be paired with the menu created by faculty and students to showcase the tastes of Tuscany in our final TuttoToscana dinner at the James Beard Foundation.