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The legalization of marijuana for medical and/or recreational purposes is a hot topic in many countries for several years now. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is even starting to become a gourmet product that you, just as wine, can pair with food to heighten the experience. Indeed, the American Jamie Evans is probably the first Herb Somm offering courses and tasting events to promote the use of cannabis to enhance aromas and flavours. In Colorado and Las Vegas, Cultivating Spirits is a company offering cannabis dinners and tastings as well as cannabis tours. We'll take a closer look at the… read more

Overview of Champagne History & Champagne Glasses Champagne is a beverage that has always had an air of luxury around it. Whether it was among the aristocracy in 18th-century France or among more contemporary film stars. "In a perfect world, everyone would have a glass of Champagne every evening." - Willi Gluckstern Today, Champagne is a sparkling wine that is more accessible for people in general even if it still gives an expression of luxury and magic. There are many artisanal Champagne producers who nowadays make fabulous products – so-called Grower Champagne - and to good prices. Another important aspect… read more

Vinitaly has come and gone this year. As every year, Fattoria di Montemaggio had a stand at Vinitaly to showcase the wines, meet new and old clients, friends, and wine lovers. Vinitaly is four days of non-stop wine euphoria in Verona in Italy. This year, Fattoria di Montemaggio had organized a small blind tasting for a selected group of wine professionals that we will tell you more about below. However, let us start by looking closer at Vinitaly this year… Vinitaly 2019 in experience and numbers Vinitaly, which started out back in September in 1967, opened its doors for the… read more

The 8th of March is the International Women’s Day (IWD) and before and after it gives rise to a lot of talk about women’s rights. Surprise surprise, it is actually a day having a deeper significance than giving mimosa flowers to the women around you and taking them out for dinner. It is a day to focus on how women can reach equality and balance in the still male-dominated society. The first IWD was organized in New York in 1909 by the Socialist Party of America and as a result, it was discussed the IWD ought to be a yearly… read more

Valentine’s Day is here and for many, it is a day to treasure each other while for others it is more of a commercial hype. In any case, it is a day that many celebrate each in their own way. We wanted to take a closer look at Valentines Day’s historical origin and to highlight two of the wines we produce at Fattoria di Montemaggio in Radda in Chianti that we think are perfect for a romantic evening. A Celebration in Honour of Saint Valentine It all seems to begin BC with Christian martyrs and saints. There were apparently different… read more

January of 2019 is already in the last few days. All the activities at Fattoria di Montemaggio in Radda in Chianti are already in full force. Soon it is time to get prepared for the preview of the vintages released this year. However, the vines are still asleep and resting. Composting is something you can do all year round though. Fattoria di Montemaggio has just started composting and is very excited about it. In this article, we will look closer at the processes and benefits of composting. Organic Farming and Composting at Fattoria di Montemaggio Let us start by looking further… read more

How to Find Your Wine You don’t have to be passionate about wines nor a connoisseur with a skilled palette that can distinguish the exact make, region, and type of grape from a single whiff. However, life is too short to never give Italian wine a try. The sheer intricacies and aroma of the Chianti Classico Riserva or full-bodied Chianti Classico are a must! In the midst of the Tuscany wine allure, have you found ‘The One’? If not, here are five characteristics that you can use as your guide to finding the wine that is meant for you: 1.… read more

Christmas Memories from the Montemaggio Staff As we enter the holidays and more specifically the month of Christmas celebrations, the rush for finding the perfect Christmas gifts is at its peak. In the world of wine, Christmas gifts have become important as a way of gifting your friends with specifically chosen wines. But where did it all start? What do we know about the origin of Christmas gifts? The Origins of the Christmas Gift Gift-giving as a tradition goes long back in history until before Christianity. It is considered to have been a pagan tradition in connection with the celebration… read more

Halloween is here! It is to a certain extent believed that many of the rituals and traditions in connection with Halloween go back to old Celtic harvest festivals. These rituals are believed to have pagan roots and to then have been Christianized and connected to the All Saints' Eve. Anyway, today it is Halloween and the harvest of 2018 is over. Days and weeks of hard work picking grapes in the vineyards, making several selections, destemming and crushing to send the must to fermentation is done. At wineries all over Italy they can start to breathe again, so to say.… read more

TUSCANY, ITALY -- There's a saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" and at Montemaggio's scenic winery in Radda, Chianti, the old adage rings true. However, in today’s fast-paced social media world, we might need to update that expression to "a video is worth a thousand words". To best showcase our beloved Chianti winery and the world of Fattoria di Montemaggio, we decided to create visual wine tour of our vineyards, tasting rooms, processing areas, bodegas, seasons, harvesting time, estate magic and more. It's a taste of what our visitors experience and it's a glimpse at the very best… read more