Valdarno di Sopra Wine Region

The reputable Tuscany sub-region of Valdarno di Sopra has an array of wines known throughout the world for their distinction and class. As you embark on your travels through the wine region of Tuscany, we invite you to dive into these distinctive wines. Valdarno di Sopra’s quintessential style is set apart from the rest due to its soil types, the selection of grape varieties grown, and the specific production methods of winemakers in the area. These elements define a style of wine found nowhere else in Italy, or the world for that matter.  We hope you will enjoy discovering the classic wines that make Valdarno di Sopra a favorite for wine drinkers worldwide.

Find out more about Wine Tasting and Tours in Valdarno di Sopra

Where is the Valdarno di Sopra Wine Region?

Valdarno di Sopra DOC is a wine area in the province of Arezzo in eastern Tuscany. It is situated between the Arezzo plain and the Florentine hills on the eastern and western slopes of the Arno valley (Val d'Arno).

Unique terroir of Valdarno di Sopra appellation

The DOC Valdarno di Sopra area's soil and climate characteristics lead to the exceptional quality of the wines produced there. This location has rock formations from the lower Miocene Tuscan series, such as sandstones with trace quantities of marl, calcite, scyst, and fine sandstone with quartz.

The environment is undeniably favorable for grape cultivation, and the region is classified as moderate on the Rocchi scale. This implies that negative climatic changes are less intense than positive ones. The Apennine region of central Tuscany is influenced by a temperate cold climate, but it is also influenced by the Mediterranean climate, particularly in the summer, which positively determines the end of the growing cycle, allowing for a complete and progressive maturation while avoiding harmful extreme conditions.

The DOC encompasses both the eastern and western sides of the Arno Valley. The vines' predominant exposure is west-southwest. Well-ventilated and light. The DOC protects land suitable for viticulture in the townships mentioned below, all of which are in the province of Arezzo. The designation is separated into two sub-regional groupings or sub-zones called Pietraviva and Pratomagno, the names of which are authorized on labels.

History of Valdarno di Sopra DOC

The Valdarno di Sopra wine area is proud of its lengthy winemaking heritage and traditions. The Etruscans were already creating wine in the 4th century BC, and Plinio the Elder describes the areas surrounding Arezzo as the greatest for winegrowing, referring to the diverse grape types grown here. Monks safeguarded grape vineyards from thievery and disaster during the Middle Ages. The Florentine cadastre of 1427 indicates, in addition to technical cadastral statements, the worth of the goods acquired in various locations, rating the wines of the period by merit and price.

The first specialized vineyards are cultivated during the agricultural revolutions that occurred during the 16th and 18th centuries, and viticulture is developed with a more scientific and business mentality. With Cosimo III's proclamation, this territory was traditionally designated as a land dedicated to the cultivation of high-quality wines.

This historical subdivision of origin is codified with the DOC recognition of the wines of the Valdarno di Sopra with the Ministerial Decree of June 13, 2011. 

What is Valdarno di Sopra Wine?

The prestigious Valdarno di Sopra sub-region produces a variety of wines that are recognized across the world for their distinctiveness and class. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, the major three red types, and Syrah and Sangiovese may be used to make varietal wines for the general wine region. For wines from the two subzones, Malvasia Nera, Malvasia Bianca Lugna, Canaiolo Nero, and Pugnitello may be used. Ciliegiolo varietal may only be found in Petraviva. Valdarno di Sopra Rosso blends as well as varietal Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese may be elevated to riserva rank. The wines must be matured for at least two years, including at least six months in a barrel. Sweet passito wines must be made with 40% to 80% Malvasia Bianca Lunga. Vendemmia tardiva wines, focusing on the same grape, are also permitted in the Pietraviva zone. The DOC also permits both Chardonnay-based sparkling white wines and Rosato equivalents. The latter must be brewed only from a variety of red grape varietals.

Food to Pair with Valdarno di Sopra wine

1. Crostini Toscani

Crostini Toscani are toasted slices of thick bread covered with creamy chicken liver pâté, a traditional Tuscan antipasto. These tasty morsels, also known as crostini di fegatini and crostini neri or black crostini, were previously created using stale bread that was dipped in broth to soften before being coated with liver paste. 

Every Tuscan home has their own take on this irresistible antipasto, but the primary attraction is usually the chicken liver, which is cooked with onions, carrots, celery, stock, and seasonings like salty anchovies, capers, sweet Vin Santo, or Marsala wine. 

Paired with Valdarno di Copra wines, these mouth-watering tiny slices are an inescapable feature of a typical Tuscan antipasto plate.

2. Medaglioni alla Rossini 

Medaglioni alla Rossini is a Pesaro-based traditional Italian beef dish. Beef (preferably Chianina), Vin Santo, Gruyere cheese (Groviera in Italian), butter, flour, olive oil, prosciutto crudo, toast, salt, and pepper are typical ingredients. 

The meat is cooked in oil and butter after being sliced into medallions. They're floured, and then Vin Santo is poured over them and allowed to evaporate as they cook. The medallions are seasoned with salt and pepper before being cooked until the sauce has been absorbed. 

They're piled in an ovenproof plate with prosciutto slices and cheese. Béchamel sauce is poured over the dish, which is then cooked until the cheese melts.

3. Finocchiona

Finocchiona is a finely ground pig neck and shoulder, as well as ham trimmings, rump, lean belly, collar, and flank. Salt, pepper, peppercorns, and garlic taste and season it. The sausage is characterized largely by the prominent scent of fennel seeds and occasionally even flowers, if incorporated in the mince. 

Finocchiona is typically served as an appetizer and goes well with unsalted Tuscan breads, focaccia flatbreads, pecorino cheese, and local red wines.

Places to visit in Valdarno di Sopra

1. Arezzo, Explore the Region of Artists, Forests and Saints

Arezzo is a region in Italy's Eastern Tuscany. It has several tiny villages with a charming out-of-the-way character, the natural park of the Casentino Forests, and the famed Medieval hilltop town of Cortona.  Additionally, there are monasteries in this location as Saint Francis of Assisi spent a portion of his life here. Some creative prodigies were also born here, such as Michelangelo Buonarroti, whose hometown took his name, Caprese Michelangelo.

2. Cortona, charming walled medieval town in Tuscany

Cortona is famed with beautiful views of the Val di Chiana and some interesting museums. Even after "Under the Tuscan Sun" put it on the tourist map, it has maintained its authenticity. 

One of Tuscany's most beautiful cities is Cortona. It is perched on a hill, and from outside the city's Etruscan walls, the Basilica of Santa Margherita may be seen looking down on it. It is a town filled with winding, narrow lanes lined with shops and secret stone stairs that feels very different from living on the Val di Chiana plain below.

3. Le Celle Hermitage, unquestionably one of the most breathtaking settings 

Le Celle Hermitage in Tuscany is a remarkable spot of stillness and mysticism, where the only sound to shatter the calm is the voice of the river. It's arguably one of the greatest locations in the area to experience San Francesco's pious and contemplative character. 

Its magic is very much influenced by where it is. The monastery feels like it belongs in the natural environment because it is located next to a soothing waterfall on a slope covered with trees. Few tourists can help not be moved by the town's basic stone structures, some of which have small windows that appear to cling to the mountainside.

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