News & Events

The Gracciano della Seta estate can boast of a long and ancient history that has its roots in the past of Montepulciano, among the most popular soils for the production of Vino Nobile. Since 19th Century, as a matter of fact, the estate with the main house was the center of a farm that boasted over 400 hectares and 22 farms, in which the typical agricultural products under the sharecropping system were cultivated. Throughout the years, the farm, which originally belonged to the Svetoni family and it had been producing Vino Nobile since early ‘800, was inherited by the current owner, Giorgio della Seta.

Now the main part of the Tenuta di Gracciano, modernized with the construction of the new winery and embellished with the Italian garden, is surrounded by about 70 hectares of land of which 20 are vineyards; the company deals with the production of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, using the long tradition of the family that has gone through 150 years of local history. From this tradition comes also a philosophy based on respect for the environment and raw materials, which resulted in the conversion to organic farming in 2015.

Julio takes me to visit the company and the wineries: he handles the production process in the company, accompanied by the consultant Giuseppe Rigoli, while the owner Giorgio della Seta is mainly engaged in the international marketing. Together we visit the new winery, where the winemaking process takes place, as well as aging. It was built in 2013 to increase and improve production; then we pass to the old cellars, located in the basement of the old manor house, where there is a large collection of historic bottles, in addition to the reconstruction of the housing and the kitchens of the servitude.

The Gracciano della Seta estate has reached an annual production of about 100.000 bottles, divided between Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Vino Nobile Riserva, Rosso di Montepulciano and Rosato di Toscana. The harvest is done by hand, so you can directly select the best grapes on the vine.

“Ours is an elegant Vino Nobile – says Julio – Traditional, but not very full-bodied, with a light style. Suitable for a long bottle aging but pleasant to drink even if it hasn’t aged much”.

The market is aimed primarily abroad; as a matter of fact, more than half of the production is exported, with great success, in the United States or in countries such as Germany and Canada. From 2000 onwards, Gracciano della Seta has been able to enjoy an exponential growth, thanks to the investments for the construction of the new winery and the international success of the Vino Nobile.

The Gracciano della Seta estate offers tours and tastings, in synergy with the Strada del Vino Nobile, and tourists are proving very interested to visit the ancient cellars and production processes. They are struck by the history, by the villa, by the past scenes of the peasantry, and they ask for information on how they used to make wine in the decades before and as how has it changed over the years.

“Gracciano della Seta is a small chateau hidden in the hills of Montepulciano, it has a huge potential that is coming out slowly. – Continues Julio – The owner has always paid great attention to the US market; however, we have also seen a growth in recent years on the local market promoted by a constant quality even recognized by the national and international press”.