The best DOCs and artworks not to miss
The Arezzo Wine Trail winds for about 200 kilometers and in its path it embraces territories of the Valdarno and Valdichiana Aretina areas.
A route that allows to discover farms and artisans, taste wines and typical dishes, while enjoying the artistic and landscape highlights of the area.
In these lands rich in history and art, villages and castles, excellent wines are produced - DOCG Chianti Colli Arezzo, DOC Cortona, DOC Valdichiana, DOC Valdarno di Sopra - as well as many quality gastronomic specialties.
The destinations that are part of this Wine Route are Arezzo, Bucine, Cavriglia, Capolona, Castelfranco - Pian di Scò, Castiglion Fibocchi, Castiglion Fiorentino, Civitella in Val di Chiana, Cortona, Foiano della Chiana, Laterina - Pergine Valdarno, They Ciuffenna, Lucignano, Marciano della Chiana, Monte San Savino, Montevarchi, San Giovanni Valdarno, Subbiano and Terranuova Bracciolini.
Suggested route
To fully enjoy the best of the Arezzo area, we recommend visiting the capital city first. Dating to the Etruscan era, Arezzo is a medieval gem, full of history, culture and art. In the historic centre, you can admire the Church of San Francesco, home to Piero della Francesca’s frescoes depicting The Legend of the True Cross, the Romanesque Parish Church of Santa Maria, the Gothic Cathedral, which the Mary Magdalene by Piero della Francesca, the Church of San Domenico, with a Crucifixion by Cimabue, the Giorgio Vasari home-museum and Piazza Grande. Arezzo vaunts several traditions, such as the Antiques Fair, held every month, and the Giostra del Saracino in Piazza Grande (third Saturday of June and first Sunday of September). Along with a few other cities in Italy, Arezzo boasts the best and largest production in terms of gold processing.
From Arezzo, we move towards the Valdarno, a large plain where, through millennia of water and wind erosion, the Balze were formed. Just beyond the Balze is the Sette Ponti Trail, a Roman Cassia Vetus once linking Arezzo to Fiesole. Following the plain, the landscape transforms into hills dotted with medieval settlements followed by the massive Pratomagno, with its chestnut forests and pastures. Inhabited by Etruscans and Romans, the area preserves today villages with traces of urban walls, fortresses, castles, as well as farms that maintain the rural ambiance of the Tuscan countryside.
Lastly, we arrive in Valdichiana, a fertile and rich plain, surrounded by lush, rollling hills, dotted with splendid and intact medieval towns. This area was inhabited by Etruscans, who left extraordinary traces of their civilization everywhere. In the Middle Ages these settlements were transformed into fortified cities, dotting the hills with imposing urban walls that were often built atop Etruscan-Roman walls.
Typical products
The Arezzo area vaunts a Chianti Colli Aretini DOCG and 3 DOCs, including reds, rosés, whites and vin santo: Cortona, Valdichiana and the Upper Valdarno (the newest one, recognized in 2011). The main grapes grown in the area are: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Malvasia Nera, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (red grapes); Trebbiano, Malvasia bianca, Chardonnay and Grechetto (white grapes).
The gastronomy includes products that have been selected and refined over time, by skilled farmers and producers who are still the guardians of these ancient traditions today. In addition to legumes (zolfino beans, coco nano beans, cowpeas, chickpeas) and cheeses (goat’s cheeses, raw milk pecorino, ricotta, Arezzo “abbucciato”), honey and excellent extra-virgin olive oil are produced in this area. The meat from this region is renowned, including Valdarno chicken and Chianina, as are the cured meats (capocollo, finocchiona, prosciutto, Tuscan salami, soprassata, Valdarno tarese).
Info: stradadelvino.arezzo.it