Villa Le Barone can organize wine visits and wine tasting at Castello di Verrazzano winery (14 km from Villa Le Barone). Villa Le Barone can also organize buying and shipping wine from Castello di Verrazzano winery.
The Castle of Verrazzano is located in Greve in Chianti and has an estate of 230 acres. There is a great tradition of winemaking: the “vineyards situated in Verrazzano” are mentioned in a manuscript which dates back to 1150. The Castle became the property of the Verrazzano family in the VII century. Giovanni da Verrazzano, the navigator and discoverer of the bay of New York was born there in 1485.
The existing 52 hectares of vineyards (at an altitude between 260 and 420 meters above sea level) are divided into single vineyards located on the more suited ground with the best properties and microclimate. The grapes used are mostly red grapes, among which Sangiovese clearly stands out, along with other varieties including Merlot, Canaiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Colorino, and only a small percentage of white grapes like Trebbiano Toscano, Traminer and Malvasia lunga del Chianti.
The ancient cellars date back to the XVIth century. Aging takes place in Slavonian oak barrels placed along the corridors, protected from sudden temperature changes. 3 years old oak barrels of 30 hl. capacity are used for the elevation of the Chianti and Chianti Classico Riserva, and new barriques (Allier and Vosges) for the elevation of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Sassello and of the Super Tuscan Bottiglia Particolare. By visiting the winery, surrounded by the scents of fine oak barrels, one enters into the heart of the castle, where selections of the best vintages since 1924 are kept.
