Summary
Piccini 1882 is one of the best-known wine companies in Tuscany – and far beyond it. Anyone who has ever looked for an Italian red in a supermarket or restaurant has very likely come across the Chianti with the bright orange label: it is one of the most internationally recognisable Chianti brands of all. Behind the classic stands a fourth-generation family business that began in 1882 in Castellina in Chianti and today farms more than 200 hectares of vines across five estates in several Italian wine regions. From Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino to Mount Etna, Piccini pursues a consistent multi-region approach.
History
The story begins in 1882, when Angiolo Piccini bought around seven hectares of vines in Castellina in Chianti and laid the foundation for today's company. What started as a small family business in the heart of the Chianti area grew over the generations into one of Tuscany's largest and most internationally visible wine houses.
Today Piccini is run in the fourth generation by Mario Piccini and trades under the names „Piccini 1882" and „Tenute Piccini". The decisive step of its recent history was the decision not merely to grow in Tuscany, but to acquire its own estates in other Italian wine regions. Little by little, this created a network of estates that captures the diversity of Italian winegrowing under one roof. A visible sign of this modernisation is the second, technically state-of-the-art winery near Casole d'Elsa, in operation since 2020.
Location & Terroir
The home base lies in Castellina in Chianti in the province of Siena – right in the heart of Chianti Classico, that classic landscape of hills between Florence and Siena that is world-famous for its Sangiovese wines. Limestone- and marl-rich soils, warm days and cool nights, along with the altitude, shape wines with freshness, structure and the typical tart cherry fruit.
The real appeal of Piccini, however, lies in the diversity of its terroirs. Beyond Tuscany, the estate farms its own vineyards in strikingly different landscapes: the maritime Maremma on the Tuscan coast, the cooler heights of Montalcino, the volcanic uplands of Basilicata around Monte Vulture, and the lava soils of Mount Etna in Sicily. Each of these regions brings its own soils, climates and grape varieties – and with them its own style of wine.
Style & Philosophy
Piccini's philosophy can be summed up in one sentence: to make the whole breadth of Italian red wine accessible – without blurring regional identity. The famous Chianti with the orange label stands for uncomplicated, fruit-forward drinking pleasure and has opened the door to Italian wine for countless people around the world.
At the same time, with its own estates the house pursues a distinctly more ambitious approach. Rather than buying in grapes, Piccini relies on its own vineyards in each region of origin, and thus on control over the entire chain from vine to bottle. The Fattoria di Valiano in Chianti Classico is farmed organically – proof that, for this estate, volume and a claim to quality are no contradiction.
Notable Wines & Estates
The heart of the brand is the classic Chianti with the orange label – the wine that made Piccini internationally famous. Around this classic gather the wines of the five estates, each standing for a region and a style:
- Fattoria di Valiano – around 75 hectares in Chianti Classico, farmed organically
- Villa Al Cortile – around 12 hectares in Montalcino for Brunello di Montalcino
- Tenuta Moraia – around 60 hectares in the Maremma
- Further estates in Basilicata for Aglianico del Vulture and on Mount Etna in Sicily
Added to this are wines from Bolgheri and a Spumante range. In total, Piccini produces around 16 million bottles a year, sold in roughly 77 countries.
Awards
Piccini's greatest achievement is arguably its enormous international recognition: the Chianti with the orange label is among the best-selling and most recognisable Chianti wines in the world. By expanding its own estates and building the new winery near Casole d'Elsa, the family company has at the same time reinforced its ambition to play a part not only in breadth but also at the top end – from serious Chianti Classico and Brunello wines to characterful Etna and Aglianico wines from southern Italy.