According to old Veronese traditions, the ‘tinazzi’ were wood vessels, similar to barrels, where crushed grapes were left to ferment. It’s a fortunate epistemological origin for the surname of a family so deeply linked to wine. A curious anecdote that gives context to the birth of Cantina Tinazzi in the 1960s, in the Cavaion Veronese, thanks to the effort and passion of Eugenio Tinazzi.
Having taken over from his father at the helm of the family’s estate at the tender age of eighteen, the founder’s son, Gian Andrea, led the company’s growth with steadfast determination. Tinazzi not only increased and diversified production, acquiring estates in Puglia and Tuscany, but also the number of markets where its wines can be found. From its humble beginnings in the Veneto, Tinazzi has become an internationally recognised group, with more than 100 hectares under vine, exporting 90% of its bottles to almost 50 countries.
Despite its growth, the company remains a family project, with Gian Andrea’s children, Giorgio and Francesca, now sharing management responsibilities with their father, and developing the wine, hospitality and research components of all the estates.
Feudo Croce – Southern passion
In 2001, during a visit to Puglia, Gian Andrea Tinazzi realised the potential of the local indigenous grape varieties, in particular of Primitivo, Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera. A few months later, the family decided to invest in the region and bought a 20-hectare property in Alto Salento, where the Masseria Feudo Croce was built a few years later. The wines produced at the estate pay tribute to the terroirs of Manduria and Salento, to the local viticultural traditions – seen, for example, in the preservation of the alberello training system – and to the essence of the local grapes.
In 2023, Tinazzi will add two new wines to the Feudo Croce range: Dysmè Fiano Puglia IGP and Nyktos Aglianico Puglia IGP. The single-varietal Fiano is named after the Greek word for sunset, and expresses the intense energy and nuanced hues of that time of the day. A very gastronomic white wine, with fine aromas of yellow flowers, peach and candied orange, that will pair perfectly with seafood platters and grilled fish. Nyktos, on the other hand, is the perfect companion for roasted red meats and mature cheeses. This Aglianico also takes its name from the Greek language: Nyktos means nocturnal, evoking the deep red colour, the intense spicy nose, and the warming velvety palate.
Cantina San Giorgio – Mature love
Tinazzi’s passion for Puglia was consolidated with the acquisition, in 2019, of Cantina San Giorgio. Located in Faggiano, the state-of-the-art facility produces a range of single-varietal, modern wines, with enveloping aromas and velvety flavours to meet the demands of young wine drinkers.
San Giorgio will also see the launch of two new wines in 2023: Archita Fiano Puglia IGP and Erodoto Aglianico Puglia IGP. Like all other San Giorgio wines, the two new labels pay tribute to important personalities of ancient Greece – a philosopher and an historian – of which Puglia was part.
The Fiano Archita is a golden wine, at once fresh and intense, with rich green citrus and yellow orchard fruit topped by tropical notes. Its perfect balance of body and acidity, makes it a versatile pairing companion, perfect for salads, seafood, white fish or poultry. Its red companion, the Aglianico Erodoto, has deep purple hues with red reflections – this echoes the aromatic profile of wild blackberries, sour cherry and plum, with a balsamic lining. The palate is clear and austere, with a firm tannic structure and spicy freshness, making it a natural companion for lamb and game.
Duca delle Corone – Flagship Puglia
This year, Tinazzi is also launching a complete new range from Puglia – Duca delle Corone – celebrating the region’s grace and character in a collection of flagship wines. They reflect the clear skies against which magic villages are etched, and the changing, transparent hues that paint an ever-changing fresco each day.
While designing the Duca delle Corone labels, the Tinazzis took inspiration from the Puglian rosettes, the intricate windows on the facades of local churches that filter the light creating enveloping patterns in the stone surfaces inside. It is this simple sophistication that is reflected in the Duca delle Corone Fiano, Aglianico and Primitivo Rosato. All three wines are single-varietal expressions that convey the full character of each of their varieties, with great balance and gastronomic appeal.
With the warmth of its golden straw hue, the Duca delle Corone Fiano Puglia IGP has a complex and elegant bouquet with notes of candied exotic fruit followed by herbal and floral nuances. Its persistence, minerality, balsamic lift and nutty lining, invite pairings with flavours of the sea. Its Aglianico counterpart reveals aromas of blackberry, plum, leather and liquorice, in a elegant interplay between primary and secondary notes. Its sinewy tannins and spicy freshness make it a good pairing for meat-based starters.
With the Duca delle Corone Primitivo Rosato IGP, the Tinazzis created a first wine of its kind in the company’s range: an intense and seductive rosé, with delicate aromas, refreshing acidity and lingering zestiness. A quintessential food wine, perfectly served alongside shellfish, grilled white fish and creamy pasta.
Further to these three new launches, the Duca delle Corone range includes four other typically Puglian wines, offering a complete panorama of Alto Salento’s oenological tradition: Primitivo di Puglia IGP, Negroamaro IGP, Bianco Puglia IGP and Negroamaro rosé IGP.
Across ranges, Tinazzi’s new Puglian wines are, above all, an invitation to discover and enjoy the pleasures of the southern Italian table. Saluti!
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