History of Vernaccia

Vernaccia di San Gimignano native vine for excellence, Vernaccia is one of the oldest wines of Italy, whose history blends with that of the city of San Gimignano

important production in the medieval period, he shared with the city over a long period of decline until the second half of the twentieth century, at which time we have renovated and meet new success. It seems that the vine was introduced from Liguria around 1200 by a certain Vieri de 'Bardi, but the origin is uncertain, for others, the name derives from the Latin Vernaculum, translated as local, which then stood for the typical products of a territory, which would explain the use of the name for Grenache vines totally different, like those of Oristano and Serrapetrona, the Vernaccia there are historical records from the beginning of 1200: in 1276 in the 'laws of taxes' of the City of San Gimignano shows the imposition of a tax of three money per pack of Vernaccia sold outside the municipality, from which it is clear that his reputation had already crossed the city walls, as demonstrated by the numerous literary references to it enjoys among the thirteenth to the sixteenth century. The most famous perhaps that of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy that sends Pope Martin IV in purgatory to atone for the sins of gluttony, especially eels of Bolsena drowned in the Vernaccia "