Tenute Borghi
Italy
Traditional winemaking techniques that the family has favored for more than four decades
Two of Italy’s finest wines, a red Chianti Classico and a white Vernaccia de San Gimignano, come from the production facilities of the famous Borghi Family. Mario Borghi entered the wine business in 1968 and a decade later, converted the existing family-owned Nozolli distillery into a modern wine making facility that produces around 60,000 hectares (about 25,000 cases) of ultra-premium wines annually.
The Gallo Negro (black rooster) is not part of Italian wine law, but rather the trademark of the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium that has been providing authenticity and product assurance since 1924. It is yet another traditional gesture on the part of Italian winemakers and producers to protect wine quality in the small Chianti Classico zone. Chianti Classicos must also include 100% Sangiovese grapes by law.
The Borghi Family owns a great deal of vineyard land (nearly 150,000 acres) and produces what amounts to a number of excellent estate wines from its vines. Le Gallozzole is the specific estate that produces this International Wine Club Chianti Classico selection. It is a beautiful picture postcard, fully restored stone facility that sits on 60 pristine hectares (about 148 acres) completely surrounded by vineyards towards the southern end of the Chianti Classico zone. It traces its heritage back almost eight centuries and includes thirteen suites and a main villa that are available to visitors.
The Vernaccia grape is one of Italy’s finest white grapes and traces its origins back as early as 1276. It has been highly prized for centuries and is only grown in the hilly con nes that surround the town of San Gimignano. It was the first Italian white to receive DOC status in 1966 and also the first to receive the upgraded DOCG designation in 1993. It has been known for centuries as the White Wine of Kings and its vineyards have been fought over for many centuries.
Andrea Borghi - Winemaker
Like his father Mario, Andrea Borghi is primarily a self- taught winemaker who has learned the business through the tradition of generational hand down of information, not unusual in Italian winemaking families. However, Andrea does employ the consulting services of Michele Camini, a well-known and highly praised winemaker who is a graduate of the respected Institute of Technology and Agriculture in Siena.
Camino started in 1995 with the Monetcucco Co-op and worked later at Villa Artimino. She has consulted with the Borghi family since 2004 and brings a modern approach to the traditional winemaking techniques that the family has favored for more than four decades.
