It was the harvest of 1989, following a cold rainy summer and the grapes hung sadly from the vines, unripe and waterlogged. They really were a mess…

What to do with them? We collected the best bunches and set them to dry on trellises, then pressed the remaining unblemished grapes in the cellars, racked the must off after a brief maceration on the skins, and refermented the must with the grapes we'd dried on the trellises, using the traditional “governo alla toscana” technique.

The result was a huge success: a pale ruby, richly perfumed wine that was light, fresh, and extremely pleasant to drink. It was barely 12 % alcohol and was therefore especially suited to those "adhering rigidly to diets" and the abstentious who fled the notion of alcohol. It needed a name, and became IL GARRULO: in part from the noisy chirping of the birds, which brings to mind the happy talk that rises up around the table after a few good glasses of wine, and in part to honor the GARRULUS, the mischievous bird that struts about the roofs of Montenidoli during the winter months.

Abandoning Il Garrulo after that vintage was unthinkable, and it became one of Montenidoli's wines: A wine made from the traditional Tuscan grapes, Trebbiano Gentile, Malvasia del Chianti, Canaiolo and Sangiovese. The Chianti of yesteryear, which will still bring a happy smile today.

Food-Wine Pairings: It goes especially well with the classic Italian tomato-based dishes, and also with spicy foods, including sauerkraut and Bavarian wurst, Marsiglian bouillabaisse, caciucco alla Livornese, Neapolitan baked eggplant, Pakistani zafferano, Indian curries, and Mexican chilies.

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