The expansion of Rosso di Montalcino: Another 350 hectares on the way

The expansion of the vineyard area designated for Rosso di Montalcino has been given the green light: an additional 350 hectares (with an additional tolerance of 4%) bringing the total to 869.7 hectares.

The proposal, previously announced to Gambero Rosso by President Fabrizio Bindocci, has been approved by the assembly of members of the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino wine to meet increased market demands.

This expansion will result in an additional potential production of slightly over 3 million bottles to add to the current average of 3.6 million bottles per year recorded in the last five years.

The 350 hectares come from existing sangiovese vineyards

However, the expansion will not result from new plantings: “The additional 350 hectares are already part of the territory's maps as areas of sangiovese vineyards but are free from restricted quotas,” explains President Bindocci. He further adds, “With this decision, members and other local enterprises will have the opportunity to restore an optimal production condition while not 'stressing' the production of grapes from vineyards designated for Brunello, thus safeguarding the product's quality.”

For formal ratification, the proposal will need approval from the Tuscany Region.

Here are the allocations for companies

The newly approved document from the assembly also outlines the degressive method behind the expansion: for companies with up to 10 hectares of reclaimable surface area, the increase will go up to 15%. The percentages decrease for more substantial vineyards, encompassed in two other categories (up to 20 hectares and beyond). The outcome will also favour the growth of small businesses; there are 258 wineries in the first cluster (up to 10 hectares), compared to 52 in the larger categories.