Poggio al Sole Olio Extra Vergine d' Oliva

Olio extra vergine di Oliva from Poggio al Sole

Green, green, green is all I love!

Poggio al Sole produces its own olive oil as well - after all, about 1,500 of the silver-grey shimmering trees grow on the 70 hectare estate. And we are not talking about only one kind of olives, but six! The varieties Leccino, Frantoio, Moraiolo, Pendolino, Madonna dell' Impruneta and La Bella del Poggio grow there. After a manual harvest, the fruits are processed the same day in a modern oil mill. This ensures that the olives are absolutely fresh and the natural aromas are preserved. After pressing, the oil is carefully filtered, which prolongs its shelf life, and then bottled. The result is an extra virgin olive oil with a rich yellow-green colour, which has a slightly sweet grass scent and a taste reminiscent of the pleasant bitterness of artichokes. It goes very well with Mediterranean cuisine - for example for marinating fish and meat and of course with vegetables and salads. 

Poggio al Sole: 70 hectares between Tavarnelle Val di Pesa and Greve in Chianti

The winery "Poggio al Sole" (pronounced: "podscho al sole") is called "hill in the sun" not for nothing. The typical Tuscan stone house enthrones the highest point of a sunny hill in the middle of the beautiful Chianti Classico landscape. By the way, this hill is also to be seen on the labels of all wines - in a simplified, colourful form. And actually the winery is much more than just a single sunny hill. It represents a 70-hectare gently undulating area between the towns of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa and Greve in Chianti. The vines grow and thrive on 24 hectares - 14 hectares are devoted to Sangiovese. In addition, the hills of Poggio al Sole are home to 1,500 olive trees and a colourful mixture of Canaiolo, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Johannes Davaz, both agronomist and oenologist, has long been committed to the sustainable cultivation of his vineyards. And since 2016, all his wines have also been officially certified organic. 

Red, white & pink - the three colours of wine enjoyment

A total of eight different wines are produced at Poggio al Sole: six red wines, one rosato and one white wine. The focus of the production is of course clearly on their Chianti Classico. Johannes Davaz rounds off the 90 percent Sangiovese share with 5 percent of Canaiolo and of Merlot. Without a doubt, the top wine among the reds from Poggio al Sole is Casasilia - a Gran Selezione from 100 percent Sangiovese. The red wine with the flowery name Trafiore, which means "between the flowers", is produced from 100 percent Canaiolo grapes, known for their fragrance.  Another "100 percent" is the Syrah. As the name suggests, only Syrah grapes are used for this deep red drinking pleasure. The main component of Trittico, to a certain extent the light, palatable house wine of Poggio al Sole, is again the Sangiovese. With a share of 70 percent, it sets the tone in this trio, along with 15 percent Merlot and 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition to the red wines, Poggio al Sole also offers a light and fresh white wine, Chiara, which consists of 80 percent Chardonnay and 20 percent Bianco di Sangiovese. Last but not least, there is the Primavera - the Rosato of the Davaz family - a real drinking pleasure for mild summer evenings, which is made of 100% Sangiovese.

Swiss winemaking tradition in historic hills

Since 1990 the winery has been owned by the Swiss winemaker couple Kathrin and Johannes Davaz. Johannes comes from a well-known family of winemakers who have been producing excellent wines on their estate in the Bündner Herrschaft between Fläsch and Maienfeld since the early 1970s. But Poggio al Sole can also look back on an eventful and long history. Documents prove that wine and olives were being cultivated on these hills already in the early 12th century. However, at that time the estate was still called Casasilia and was owned by the nearby Abbey of Badia a Passignano. First in 1969 the estate passed into secular ownership and was given the name Poggio al Sole. Since the purchase in 1990, Kathrin and Johannes have continuously expanded the winery: more vineyards were purchased, the wine cellar was expanded and modernized, a solar system was installed and an agriturismo now completes this typical Tuscan winery. Those who dream of the perfect Tuscany holiday can choose between four spacious holiday apartments and a lovingly furnished double room. From every single apartment and room you can enjoy the view from the "poggio" over the gently undulating vineyards, the valleys  and woods up to the neighbouring Rignana winery and up to the nearby abbey.