Tuscany is a gorgeous, medieval corner of Italy, where you cannot help but stumble across picturesque villages littered with ancient spires, where the food is hearty and homely, and the wine is never less than superb. It has been at the center of the Italian wine industry since before records began, and the rolling hills of this region have always been dotted with vineyards growing rich, ripe, red fruits aplenty. In the small medieval town of Suvereto, we find the winery of Tua Rita - a winery which although may not be as old as many of its neighbors, is nonetheless making waves due to the supreme quality of its lush red wines.

The winery was established by Rita Tua and her husband in 1984, when she bought 37 acres of prime Tuscan vineyards and planted them with the finest imported grape varietals she could get her hands on. This was the age of the Super Tuscan winery, when vintners were breaking rules regarding what grapes could be grown on this ancient land, and freeing themselves to make the wines they felt could best express their pristine terroir. Rita Tua settled on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and set about making Bordeaux blend wines with her own, traditional Italian methods, and come 1992 and the release of her first vintage, it was clear she’d made the right decision. The blend was a huge hit, both at home and abroad, and allowed Tua Rita winery to expand and purchase a further 20 acres of vineyard. The 100% Merlot wine she released in 1999 was considered one of the finest examples of the grape in the world, and the following year’s vintage was also universally praised, gaining perfect scores of 100 and being snapped up by collectors and investors alike.

Tua Rita winery works with a philosophy of extremely low yields, keeping quality high and expression at its fullest. Indeed, for such a successful winery, output is surprisingly low because of this very approach - only 3400 cases of wine are released per year, meaning Tua Rita wines can be difficult to get and in high demand.