A bottle of Montecarlo Bianco

It is believed that wine growing has been in the hills surrounding Lucca since Roman times. Certainly there are documents as old as AD 1000 mentioning vineyards and olive groves.

The vineyards are located in the hills to the north and east of Lucca which are now the registered DOC zones of Colline Lucchesi and Montecarlo. Here the traditional Chianti grapes dominate - the Sangiovese and Canaiolo Nero for red wines, and the Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia for the white wines. The wine route from Lucca to Montecarlo is known as the Strada del Vino Colline Lucchesi e Montecarlo.

Although the wines are probably less known outside Italy, there are two DOC (D'Origine Controllata) wines worthy of note.

The most famous of these is Montecarlo Bianco, made from an interesting blend of grape varieties including Trebbiano Toscano, Semillon, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco Sauvignon and Roussanne. This is a full-bodied and mellow wine which can be kept for several years. It resembles the wines of Provence and the southern Rhone, whose soil and climate are very similar to Lucca.

Montecarlo Rosso is less known though does include some exotic varieties and also resembles Rhone valley wines particularly Chateauneuf-du-Pape. These wines are produced in the comunes of Montecarlo, Altopascio, Capannori and Porcari

The DOC Colline Lucchesi also produces a red wine and a white wine. The red is Chianti-like and suitable for drinking young, although some vintages do age well. The white, however, lacks the full body of Montecarlo Bianco.


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