Wine-factories in Radda in Chianti: Castello d’Albola, Castello di Monterinaldi and the Volpaia Factory

THE WINERIES OF RADDA IN CHIANTI

In the very heart of the Chianti hills, the territory of Radda has preserved its charme and glamour since long time ago. In the 50’s it has experienced the abandoning of its territories and of its houses, but with the new discovery during the 70’s the old terracing with olive trees and vineyards now uncultivated have gradually left pace to a richer and more extended cultivation with the consequential new arise of several large and small agricultural factories on this territory. (Entirely comprised within the boundaries of Chianti Classico).

The factory of Castello d’Albola is in the commune of Radda in Chianti; the oldest buildings of the factory, together with the historical castle, are dating back to the XIIth century, when the property was belonging to the noble family of Monterinaldi. In a second time the Castello d’Albola belonged to some other important Tuscan families: the Acciaiuoli, the SAmminiati, the Pazzi, the princes GInori Conti. Since the 70’s then the Castello d’Albola is belonging to the Zonin family. The Albola factory is in a awesome landscape, unique for the presence of villas, abbeys and castles of exceptional beauty, and characterized by hills shaped by vineyards where the most precious wines are produced.The property of Castello d’Albola is extending along 850 hectars of land in the Comune of Radda in Chianti, within the “docg” area of the Chianti Classico. The vineyards, altogether 157 hectars of this land, are deeply rooted in the historical properties of Albola: Mondeggi, Selvole, Ellere, Bozzolo, Sant’Ilario, Casa Nova, Acciaiolo, Madonnino, Fagge, Montemaioni, Montevertine, Crognole e Vignale.

The establishement of the Monterinaldi Castle, in the Comune of Radda in Chianti - in the centre of the oldest historical area of the Chianti Classico – is arising close to an ancient etruscan rooting path. The castle had preserved its original structure up to 1268 when, after the victory in the battle of Montaperti, the sienese army destroyed its outside walls, the castle and three dwellings of the castle. Unfortunately, after the most recent destructions, during WWII, only a small portion of it - surrounded by some houses - is today still existing. The Monterinaldi Castle is nowadays at the centre of the homonymous agricultural factory, whose head quarters are in Fattoria Pesanella, close to the castle. Belonging to the Ciampi family since 1961, this factoy is one of the most up-to-date in the field of the wine experimentation. The total extension of this property is 400 hectars, among vineyards, olive-groves, woods and pastures. The houses and mansions along the territory have kept their rural style and are today private residences for the employees of the factory, so to give them the ideal comfort for a life among the gorgeous sunny Chianti lands.

The Factory of Volpaia was born in the XIth century as a fortified hamlet along the watershed of two small valleys, bordering land between Siena and Florence. Volpaia has been built by the Florentine family of the “della Volpaia”, an extremely distinguished family that during the XVth and XVIth centuries, right in the heart of Renaissance, was counting among its belongers well experienced clockmakers and erudite artists among who Benvenuto and Lorenzo, this last one dear friend of Leonardo da Vinci and renowned for having been the builder, on request of Lorenzo de’ Medici, of the planetary clock in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, whose copy is nowadays in the Museum of History of Science of Florence. The historical events of Volpaia and of the families which have owned it have always gone along with the Chianti vine development. Today as in the XIth century the whole hamlet is completely revolving around the production of wine and olive oil.