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Baron Francesco Ricasoli at family vineyard estate.

Photo via ricasoli.com

Ricasoli family making wine for nearly 1000 years

By Jim Gordon and Leeta Liepins

Published 2:26 PDT, Fri August 30, 2024

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It’s always a pleasure when we get a chance to speak with a winemaker whose name is also on the bottle. That was the case recently when we sat down with Baron Francesco Ricasoli while he was in Vancouver for the city’s international wine festival. From the Chianti Classico wine area of Tuscany, Ricasoli is current owner and President of Ricasoli Wines, and his family has been linked to wine since the year 1141. The Ricasoli family tree shows a print from 1584 with one of the first images of the Chianti area. When an interview subject has a “title” before their name, you never know what they will be like. This modest and kind man wanted to simply to be called Francesco and to talk wine.

OCT: Francesco, tell our readers about this great wine, and the iconic winery which bears your name.

FR: We go all the way back to the Middle Ages. My family has owned this piece of land in Tuscany, located between Florence and Siena. Historically speaking, we have always been linked with Sienna, especially during those most important moments during the Renaissance, when the Medici (Italian banking family and political dynasty) had such power. Florence was the banking capital of Europe, and my family was aligned with the Medici, and was defending the southern border against Siena, though we are closer to Siena.

OCT: For people who have not been to Italy and that part of Tuscany, we can say from experience everyone wants to see Florence, of course, but Siena is beautiful and deserves to be visited.

FR: Siena is fantastic.

OCT: You have been guiding this winery since 1993. Talk about some of the challenges that you and all wineries face, challenges that your parents and earlier generations didn’t have to concern themselves with.

FR: Certainly, I would love to. My family got to be famous because of one of my ancestors, Bettino Ricasoli, besides being a very important politician for Italy—he was the Prime Minister in 1861 when Italy became the country we know today.

He was also the one who wrote down the rules on how to make modern Chianti. He was a fantastic man and I always remind myself that great traditions are the ones that are dynamic. Though his traditions are different from ours, we have to update these traditions. Which is what I have done since 1993.

OCT: You brought three fantastic wines to this year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival. Let’s talk about the three wines, which are available here in the Lower Mainland.

FR: The first wine is the “backbone” of our tradition, the Chianti Classico (Vintage Awards include Wine Critics 2024, Decanter 2024), and the perfect example of the integrity.

The second wine is the Classica Riserva (Vintage Awards include Wine Spectator 2023, Falstaff Wine Guide 2024 and Wine & Spirits 2023).

The third wine, is the “top of the pyramid”, the Gran Selezione. (Vintage Awards include James Suckling 2024, Wine Spectator 2024 and Vinous 2024), it is the top of our appellation.

OCT: Your wines are available around the world, including B.C., how many countries are your wines in?

FR: Yes, I believe we are available in 70 countries.

OCT: Can we talk about where you see the future going. Do family members, the children coming up, do they become part of this business? Is it expected?

FR: Yes, it is expected. You know, I believe that we have a bright future in front of us. Do you remember the times when Chianti was considered a very weak wine? Those times are gone and today there is a renaissance even in our wines. With Chianti Classico the reputation has been growing a lot. Our most important grape varietal is Sangiovese and this grape, is producing delicious but also very elegant wines with great character.

OCT: That’s a very good point to bring up, that Chianti has had a renaissance. That must be great news for you and your family that it’s come to that.

FR: We are definitely a part of this revolution.

OCT: We should share with our readers that your winery in Italy is spectacular. And people are welcome to visit and dine as well as sample your wines.

FR: We really are in the middle of nowhere so you would need to research our location in order to arrive but when you are there, it is fantastic. The view from the top of the castle, as you look south it’s like diving into a Renaissance painting with all of the beautiful nature untouched. We also offer a small museum and then we have the restaurant and a vintage bar. And then, of course, the tasting room and so on. You can walk around the vineyards, and everything is open. It is a very beautiful place to spend one full day.

OCT: Imagine visiting a family business over a 1000 years old. After looking at the visuals of their winery, one would probably want to spend a week. To find out more about Ricasoli wines go to ricasoli.com