Producer Article

Comfortably nestled in the upper-echelons of any list aiming to rank wineries by the sheer beauty of their surroundings is Tuscany’s Terra di Seta, the site of one of my last trips before being shut-down by Covid-19. Nestled among rolling Tuscan hills of such magnificent beauty as to literally take your breath away, the Terra di Seta winery is a hidden jewel crying out for discovery. After many years of writing about and recommending their well-priced and superbly made wines, I was finally able to see for myself where the magic was created. The level of hospitality, wine, food and company was so enjoyable as to make the trip well-worth anyone’s time, regardless of whether you “are in the area” or not. With another kosher winery (Cantina Giuliana) located less than two hours away, a day trip in which one can knock of two-thirds of Europe’s fully kosher wineries should be on anyone’s to-do list. Gorgeous countryside, excellent wines and delightful kosher food served at both winery’s onsite restaurants, it’s a hard to beat experience, especially when coupled with the uber-enjoyable company of the respective hosts.

Following their first commercial vintage in 2007, they made the decision to convert to a fully-kosher production with the next (2008) vintage. While primarily driven by the economic reasoning that a fully-kosher Italian winery would give them a competitive edge by controlling a niche market, the couple were also inspired by the connection to Daniele’s ancient Jewish roots. The winery’s name is derived from their connection to the land (Terra means soil, land and earth in Italian) and the family’s name – Seta (which means silk in Italian). The winery is focused on showcasing the wide range and diversity of Chianti’s primary grape – Sangiovese and they currently produce approximately 45,000 bottles annually. 70% of their current production is currently destined for the kosher market with the remaining 30% currently being sold into the general (and local) marketplace. As behooves an Italian winery with such illustrious roots, a tremendous amount of pride is taking in ground from which the wine is produced, to such an extent that each bottle is labeled with the exact latitude and longitude of the wine’s source.

The winery is currently producing five different wines. The entry level Meshi, a Rose produced from 100% Sangiovese in the saignee method which was produced form the 2014-2016 and 2018 vintages (there wasn’t enough juice in 2017). Next in line is the Toscana, also made from 100% Sangiovese (prior vintages included a small percentage of another Tuscan varietal) which was produced every year from 2008 – 2018.

The winery’s workhouse is their Chianti Classico, which is aged for at least 12 months in oak and was also produced every vintage year since 2008. The Riserva is produced from higher-quality grapes than the Chianti Classico and aged at least 18 months in oak (plus 3 more in the bottle) and was produced for 2009, 2011-2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018. Sourced from 100% organic Sangiovese grapes, the wine is produced from older vines located in a plot with a relatively lower yield.

Last up is the flagship Assai (designated as a Gran Selezione) which is aged for 30 months (plus 3 more in the bottle) and must clock in at least with 13% AbV. Assai means “much more” in Italian, which is pretty self-explanatory for a winery’s flagship product. Even through the designation didn’t become official until 2014, Terra di Seta was able to hit the requirements in 2010 and produced their first Assai for the 2011 vintage, followed by 2012-2013 and then 2015, 2016 and 2018.