Tuscan Wines

[Lori]

I am currently studying in Florence, Italy and I would like to bring a few bottles of Italian (Tuscan) wines home to the United States. I want to bring wines that i can't get in the states, otherwise it might not be worth the hassle to bring home, or wines that are much cheaper here in Italy. Can someone please recomend some good reds and whites that would be great to take home from Florence.

[Thomas]

Lori, am I missing something? You will be in Florence, which is in Tuscany, and you are asking for suggestions on Tuscan wines to take home when you return to the U.S.

Why not taste the wines while you are in Italy and then decide on what you like, and take those home?

Find out who produced the wines you like and ask them if they have representation in the U.S.--tell me the good ones that do not have representation here and I will put them in my store, if I like them too.

Oh, and aren't you lucky to study in Florence!

[Garbo]

We just spent two weeks in Tuscany. The posts are right -- you should travel around and see what you like. We discovered we liked the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano and the red Brunello di Montalcino (Sangiovese), though like here quality varied amongst producers. There's a great enoteca at the fortezza in Siena and also one at the fortezza in Montalcino that had loads of different regional wines. Both are a short drive away from Florence. (45 mins. to 2 hrs) No doubt there are some good shops in Florence as well, but probably not quite as picturesque. We also sought out some Barolo and Barbera to bring back as we've had trouble finding them here at a decent price.