In the hilly countryside of the area called Lands of the Renaissance, the protagonists of agricultural and food production are wine and olive oil, ancient fruits and symbols of Tuscany at the same time, to which the Montalbano wine and olive oil road Le Colline di Leonardo is dedicated.
The agricultural landscape, almost entirely intact, is characterized by vine growing on the lowest and softest hills and by the extension of olive groves on the highest slopes, particularly in the Montalbano area.

The wine
The historical grapes varieties used in the area are the red-berry ones, the Sangiovese, the Canaiolo and the Malvasia Nera, which make the fine Chianti D.O.C.G.  wine of the sub-areas of Montalbano and Colli Fiorentini.
The white-berry grapes, Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca make both the Bianco dell’Empolese D.O.C. and the most IGT Toscana Bianchi. The recent improvements to the local vineyards have also introduced international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sirah, as well as the production of an ITG wine labelled “Cerreto”, made from particular autochthonous types of grapes grown in the territory of Cerreto Guidi. The harvest of ripe grapes takes place from mid-September to mid-October.

The olive oil
The fine I.G.P. and Montalbano d.O.P.R.extra-virgin olive is made from olives of the groves that cover the hills of the Lands of the Renaissance. They consist mainly of the variety Frantoio, followed by the Moraiolo, the Leccino and by other varieties. It’s the variety of olive and the different stage of ripening at harvest time that give this oil a significant mixture of tastes.
Olive harvest takes place mainly by hand from November to January.


Download the list of farms where you can go for a visit and a tasting