Fontarca

The history of the Manzano Farm dates back to the 17th century, when wine was produced in the Chiana Valley (Val di Chiana) in the Cortona area. Until the 19th century, the land owners were two aristocratic families originally from Florence: the Diligenti and the Magi families.
The modern history of the Manzano Farm begins with the establishment of the Tenimenti Luigi d’Alessandro winery in 1967. At that time, the wine production in Cortona consisted of blended or inexpensive wine only. In 1988, conceived by Prof. Attilio Scienza at The University of Milan, 10 acres of Syrah were planted as an experiment in order to determine the vine-growing potential of the area. Four years later, after deeply studying the soil and the climate, selecting the best clones from the Rhone Valley and evaluating the finest winemaking techniques, Syrah was recognized as the perfect varietal in expressing the subtle link between the plant and the soil. This excellent connection between Syrah and the Val di Chiana terroir was formally recognized in 1999, when the Cortona area achieved the D.O.C. (Denominazione di origine controllata) status.
From 1993 to 2003 Tenimenti Luigi d’Alessandro gradually planted 80 acres of Syrah and Viognier, producing around 100.000 bottles per year that are sold in the main markets of the world.
Today the Syrah is considered as an authentic local Cortona wine and the production of the Tenimenti Luigi d’Alessandro winery represents one of the quality benchmarks for all Italian Syrah.