The most common and famous appellation in the Tuscany region of Italy, IGT Toscana (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) has become the wine symbol of Italian modernity. The IGT Toscana has allowed Tuscan producers to break free from codes and build a style of their own, producing wines recognised worldwide for their quality and boldness, such as the great Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Massetto.
The IGT Toscana covers the entire geographical area of Tuscany. A wine produced under the IGT Toscana can therefore come from any of the 10 provinces of Tuscany (Arezzo, Firenze, Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Massa Carrara, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, Siena).
Free from the constraints of the DOC (Denominazione Di Origine Controllata) and DOCG (Denominazione Di Origine Controllata E Garantita) designations, the wines produced with the IGT Toscana designation can be dry whites, sweet reds or sparkling rosés, although Tuscany, a land of wine-growing tradition for several centuries, is better known for the excellence of its red wines.
The IGT Toscana gained its reputation through the movement led by Italian producers with the famous "Super Tuscans" revolution, initiated in the 1960s, which led to the creation of the IGT.
Created in the 1960s, the Italian DOC system was widely criticised by Italian producers as being too rigid. In response, many producers continued to make their wines outside the rules set by the system, gradually creating a unique style and wines recognised for their high quality. The consequence of this freedom was the constraint of marketing these wines under the label "Vino da Tavola" (table wine), the lowest classification in the hierarchy of Italian appellations. By the end of the 1960s, the quality of some of these wines was such that they became the now famous "Super Tuscans," wines respected throughout the world, marketed under the "Vino da Tavola" label. In 1984, the most famous representative of this special category, Sassicaia, was given its own classification, DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia.
It was not until 1992 that the Italian government introduced a new classification with the category "Indicazione Geografica Tipica" (IGT), situated between the very strictly regulated DOC and DOCG and the classification "Vino de Tavola."
Wines produced under the IGT Toscana designation must comply with specifications designed to control the quality of the wine by ensuring that 85% of the grapes come from the Tuscany region and by indicating on the label the year of the vintage, the name of the producer and the region of origin.
The appellation is therefore available in red, white and rosé wines, with a modern style that has led Tuscany to become one of Italy's leading wine exporting regions in the world.
