Last Updated on February 14, 2022

A contemporary Tuscan winery – Scandinavian style

Visiting a local vineyard for a wine-tasting comes high up on my long list of compulsory activities for a perfect trip to Italy. No two Italian wineries are the same and there always seems to be something new to learn. This is especially true of MonteRosola in Tuscany, which opened its thoroughly modern winery building to guests in 2019. We were given a fascinating tour by Swedish owners Bengt and Ewa Thomaeus, whose enthusiasm for wine, architecture and all things Tuscan shines through.

MonteRosola is surrounded by classic Tuscan scenery – rolling hills, ancient forests and, of course, vineyards and olive trees – and it is just a short drive from tourist favourite San Gimignano and the Etruscan city of Volterra. There are no blots on the landscape here, making MonteRosola a great place for a wine-tasting and tour as well a beautiful and photogenic venue for a dream wedding or party. There are also plans to use the space for concerts and exhibitions. 

The Thomaeus family bought the land in 2013 and set about planning and building their state-of-the-art cantina. Bengt worked closely with the architect, both of them travelling the world in search of design ideas and finding inspiration in wine regions as far-flung as the Napa Valley. Fifty-three different companies contributed to the build, which was completed in 2019.

The resulting five-storey property – much of it subterranean – features a watchtower, VIP meeting room, oak-panelled tasting room, event spaces and, vitally, a wine shop. Outdoors there are courtyards, outdoor sitting areas as well as landscaped gardens. It is well worth going up to the roof terrace, not just for the wide-ranging views, but also to see the ingenious mirrored pyramid and to take pictures. It is details like these that make a visit to MonteRosola so full of surprises.

After a tour of the vineyards, cantina and laboratorio, the first round of wine-tasting took place in MonteRosola’s glamorous technical tasting room. Called the Mezzanine, it has the slight feel of an underground lair in a James Bond film and overlooks the space-age cantina filled with steel and concrete vats.

Bengt and Ewa talked us through their range while we sipped our way through the wines – many of them award winners – and snacked on young and aged pecorino cheeses made just 2km away by a local family.

From the grapes grown on their 25 hectares of vineyards, MonteRosola produces reds, whites and grappa but not rosé wines. My two favourites were both reds from the prestige range. The Canto della Civetta (which charmingly means the “song of the owl” in English) is a rich Merlot with deep flavours of blackberry and plum. The Corpo Notte, a ruby red blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, is recommended as an ideal accompaniment for steak. The Thomaeus family love to drink it alongside moose meat when visiting their native Sweden. I am normally slightly suspicious of red wine so was delighted to hear that histamine levels are kept very low here because of the fermentation process used. 

I also enjoyed MonteRosola’s white wines, in particular the silky Primo Passo. This combines Grechetto, Manzoni and Viognier grapes and is recommended for drinking with chicken and truffles.

We moved upstairs into the light again and to the oak-panelled tasting hall, a more casual setting than the Mezzanine. Here guests sit on velvet padded stools on wheels around a central serving area, all the better for being handed the next plate of delicious, locally sourced antipasti and a glass of wine. 

We were also treated to spaghetti with a tomato sugo – a simple and useful accompaniment to the copious glasses of wine. 

The strictures of Ryanair’s baggage limits meant that I couldn’t come home with a case of Canto della Civetta. Next time I go to Tuscany by car I will return to MonteRosola for another wine tasting and to raid their shop. I did manage to bring back a bottle of their extra-virgin olive oil and have enjoyed being reminded of my trip to Tuscany every time I drizzle it on a salad. 

Monterosola
Tenuta MonteRosola Soc. Agr.
Podera La Rosola 27, Loc. Pignano
560 48, Volterra, Toscana, Italia

Looking for something different?  Check our feature on the historic vineyard at Capezzana in Tuscany