Chianti Classico Uncorked: Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi on Chianti Classico, Tuscany & Family Legacy

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Summary

In this episode, Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi shares her family's rich legacy in winemaking, rooted in Tuscany since 1349. She discusses the unique characteristics of Chianti Classico wines, including the importance of Sangiovese grapes, and the significance of food pairing in Italian culture. The conversation also delves into the distinctions between Chianti Classico, Riserva, and Gran Selezione wines, highlighting their aging processes and flavor profiles. Alessandra emphasizes the role of women in her family's history and the importance of sustainability in winemaking, while also touching on the heritage of Nobile di Montepulciano wines.

Takeaways

• Alessandra's family has been producing wine since 1349.
• Chianti Classico is the first defined wine territory in the world.
• Sangiovese grapes express the land's characteristics.
• Wine is an integral part of Italian meals and culture.
• Riserva wines must age at least 24 months before release.
• Gran Selezione represents the highest quality in Chianti Classico.
• The black rooster emblem signifies membership in the Chianti Classico consortium.
• Women have played a crucial role in the family's winemaking legacy.

Wines Tasted

Bindi Sergardi La Ghirlanda Chianti Classico DOCG

Bindi Sergardi I Colli Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG

Bindi Sergardi Mocenni 89 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG

Check out the Bindi Sergardi website for more about the winery, Alessandra and her family& more!

Transcript

Laurie Forster (00:30)
We're heading to Tuscany this week by glass. We're gonna be joined by Alessandra from Bindi Sergardi from the Heart of Chianti Classico. I'm gonna introduce her in just a minute, but I just wanted to remind you my tour to Tuscany, Treasures of Tuscany is going to be in October, 2026. A number of you who are already signed up, but we do have a few spaces left. So if you're interested, just shoot me an email or go to my website.

click on events and you'll see all the details there and how to get in touch with me.

All right, I'm gonna be bringing in Alessandra Cassini Bindi Sergardi. She represents the 23rd generation of Bindi Sergardi family who has lived, cultivated and loved the lands of Siena Tuscany since get this 1349.

She began her career in the wine world working marketing for Marchese Antonori before joining the family estate in 2005.

Since then, she has brought Bindi Sergardi wines to the international stage. her sister, Madeleina,

And together they carry forward the family values, integrity, authenticity, and audacity. So let's go ahead and bring her into the show.

Laurie Forster (01:44)
Alessandra, welcome to The Sipping Point.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (01:47)
Thank you, Laurie. I'm very happy to be here.

Laurie Forster (01:50)
Yes, I know. Well, I wish I was over in Tuscany with you, but I'm hoping to meet you next year when I bring my people over in October. But I'm just so thrilled to have you here. I want to talk about your family's legacy, the winery and these three different Chianti's that you have for me to try and how they are so unique and special. So why don't we start at the beginning? Maybe tell me a little bit about

how you came to be in the wine business, which I know is a family affair.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (02:21)
Yes, I'm very, very lucky to be part of a family that has, first of all, origins in Italy, and not only, a family that has been living, loving, and cultivating the land of Siena, because this is where we are. We are right in the center of Tuscany, in this beautiful city of Siena, which is really a medieval jewel.

And this is where our family has been producing wine since 1349. And again, we're very proud to say that we have gone from one generation to the other till today. It's the 23rd generation with my sister, Maddalena. So it's my sister Maddalena and me who run the family business today. Of course, together with the pillar of our estate, which is...

Nicolas, our father, who is now retiring and giving us lots of space and we can't be more thankful to him than we have the opportunity of really doing the most beautiful work of the world where we really give importance to culture, we give importance to history, to tradition.

and to an incredible product of the world which is wine and Chianti Classico.

Laurie Forster (03:37)
I love that. Now, did you always want to be in the family business or has that kind of evolved over the years?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (03:43)
Well, thank you for this question because I actually am divided in two because I am certainly Italian with very deep roots, but I'm also American because my mother was born and raised in Boston and during her year abroad she came to Florence.

met my father and my father as a typical Italian kind of making fun of her, not making fun but joking let's say, having fun asked her to marry him after a month. She said yes and he said I was joking and she said no we're getting married. So this American side of me ⁓

Laurie Forster (04:16)
Whoa.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (04:26)
Again, I've been very lucky because my mother being American, she decided that when we turned 18, we had to leave home no matter what. If we wanted to study, we could study. If we wanted to work, we could work, but certainly not in the family business. We had a rule that we had to work at least three years out of the family business before coming back and asking to work in the family business.

But her real purpose was that we found our way, that we did whatever we really had passion for and what we liked. So we are five children, I'm number three, and Madalena, my sister, is number five. We go out of numbers once. You are so many. And only two of us really have this incredible link to the land and to our heritage.

And so it's two of us working in the winery. And going back to your question out of five, no, I did not know because that's another great thing that my mother did is that she kept us out of the business. I mean, yes, my grandmother sent me to harvest. remember those September's where I wanted to die when I was 14. Life was so hard and so hard and so difficult.

Laurie Forster (05:37)
Ha ha!

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (05:40)
But that's really the only thing I saw. So that was a really, how can I say, an invitation to continue that job. But she said to us, you have to find your way and decide what you truly love. So this is, again, a thank you to her because I'm doing what I really am passionate for and what I really love. ⁓ And it's...

Laurie Forster (06:01)
Mmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (06:02)
And it happens to be a family legacy that we're continuing for almost 700 years.

Laurie Forster (06:09)
Wow, 700 years. What an amazing woman she sounds like and an amazing love story between her and your father. That is one of the best ones I've heard lately, a month. So good. Also, so you talked about Sienna. Obviously, you're in Tuscany and Chianti Classico at various different levels and designations are what you're really focused on.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (06:16)
Yes.

Laurie Forster (06:33)
So let's talk about that. I know you sent me three different Chianti classicos and I think I have them in the order you might want to taste them, but you tell me which of these three should we taste and talk about first.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (06:46)
I would love to say that Chianti Classico, think it's one of the most incredible territories in winemaking of the world. You said we have three different Chianti Classico and one is a Chianti Classico, La Ghirlanda, which would be the first one we start with. Then Icoli, which is our Chianti Classico Riserva, which is the second one. And the third one is our Gran Selezione Chianti Classico.

And this already tells you a lot about our territory, how versatile it is. You can have a wine like our Ghirlanda, which is more on the fresh side that you can enjoy after two or three years from the harvest, yet you can still age it for quite some years, but you can enjoy it in the fresher notes. La Riserva is a wine with a greater complexity that you might want to pair more with

meat. But again, you have the elegance of the Sangiovese and of the land of Mocenni, but also the complexity that comes from the Sangiovese that it really expresses the characteristics of the soils where we produce our riserva. And then the top of the pyramid, Gran Selezione, which is a very special one we will talk about later. So this territory, just to start a little bit with the history of

of Chianti Classico. First of all, it's the first wine territory of the world. What I mean is that it's the first territory that was actually defined back in 1716 by the Grand Duke Cosimo III. And it's the first time that a wine territory was ever defined. But I think that Chianti Classico has this in its vein.

It's just avant-garde if you think that it's also the first consortium of Italy. So the consortium of Chianti Classico is the first consortium ever existing in Italy. Back in 1924, a very small group of very intelligent people decided to get together and promote and defend together the brand and the wine.

of the territory. Back in those days, it wasn't that obvious. Not only. In years where there was more mass production, and I should tell you a little bit more of the history of agriculture of Italy, but I don't know how much time we have, Chianti Classico started a very important

Laurie Forster (08:58)
Mmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (09:15)
scientific program where they studied new clones to have smaller clusters, sparser clusters, less yield per plant, always looking for quality. Which today has evolved in further two very important steps of Chianti Classico. De Gran Selezione.

Laurie Forster (09:28)
Mmm

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (09:38)
and the zonation of the territory. So today Chianti Classico is divided in 11 different zones and we are in Vagliagli, so we are in the south part of Chianti Classico. Again, to really express the beauty of the differences in this territory. La Girlanda, which is the first wine I would taste.

It's as versatile as the land where it comes from. You can enjoy it solo, you can enjoy it with cheese, you can enjoy it with pasta, maybe with lighter meat. This Sangiovese which is the grape that this wine is made of, because all the three wines you have are all 100 % Sangiovese, which is really an incredible grape because it

It tells you everything about the land where it comes from, more than any other grape. And this I like to ⁓ underline how Sangiovese really tells you inch by inch the difference that you have in every land. And this is why all of our wines always come from the same vineyards.

Laurie Forster (10:33)
Mmm

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (10:46)
because it's the land that tells you, I'm a Chianti classico la Ghirlanda, I'm a Riserva I Colli I'm a Gran Selezione. It's the land that tells you through the Sangiovese. And of course in La Ghirlanda you have the fruit, the cherry, which is typical of the Sangiovese. You have the spices.

Laurie Forster (10:53)
Yeah.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (11:06)
That liveliness of the acidity, the verticalness, this is also another thing I love about Chianti Classico that you always just want another sip and you want to finish the bottle, which is why we produce wine. Because we want to do enjoy it.

Laurie Forster (11:09)
Yes.

And that acidity makes it

so food friendly too. And I know from my trips to Italy, how passionate people are about enjoying their wine with food. It's a team in our house. It's part of the recipe of your meal, I guess, is the way I look at it. And so, this really has a lot of range. feel like Sangiovese specifically Chianti Classico with what kind of foods you can have with this as well.

What's your favorite for this Chianti?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (11:47)
Thank you, Laurie, for underlining that it's food wine. And this has to do with the history of wine in our country because it has always been part of our meal. It used to be like having a piece of bread. So

When we say that wine is in our DNA, it's because it's always been part of our food and you are what you eat and what you drink. And we have always a tradition and we still have it in our house to really have wine with the meal. So it's really a traditional way of enjoying the wine. So thinking of our...

of the recipes that characterize Toscana and Siena, would definitely say a pasta with cheese like cacio e pepe would be perfect, or an antipasto with a meat sauce, a little bit on the dried toasted bread. Pork would be great with this wine. So again,

I think the concept is that this nice acidity helps with a little bit of the fat, of the grease that you have with the cheese, with the pork, with the meat. And it's fascinating how there's always a reason. And it's fascinating how even if there's a reason, it can be extremely delicious.

Laurie Forster (13:02)
Yes.

Mm-hmm. I love that. We love a good pork tenderloin. We have that a lot of nights for dinner. It is delicious. I love the fresh fruit on the nose, on the palate, that mouth-watering acidity makes you want to eat something, right? And then

that makes you wanna go back for another sip. So I agree with you on how these are so food friendly All right, so when we were talking about the three different styles, the second one you sent me from Il Coli is the Reserva. So what is it that makes a wine?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (13:39)
This is the wine,

yes, yep.

Laurie Forster (13:41)
Yes,

what makes it a reserva just for those who are listening and maybe don't know?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (13:45)
Yes, there are some objective and some subjective elements. So the objective element is that a Riserva has to age at least 24 months in the cellar and at least three months in the bottle prior to release. This is a general rule of the Riserva. Specifically, our Riserva actually stays even longer.

in our warehouse, meaning that it's aged for almost three years and it just needs the time that it needs and we like to taste the wine always prior to releasing it as we want to make sure it's ready when it's released and that's the beauty of this of working in wine that not everything depends upon you so you really have to be patient

Laurie Forster (14:32)
Mm-hmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (14:34)
And you have to have, you have to trust that it will eventually be the right perfect riserva. And usually it is. So that's good. As I was saying before, for Vindi Sergardi, quality, quality, quality is the word. So this is why all of our wines,

always come from the same vineyards. This is why we do an incredible selection of grapes. This is why every plot of land has its own story and its own way we carry it out. Although we never forget that the most important element in winemaking is the land. So there's only that much you can do, but you can interpret the wine.

Laurie Forster (15:16)
Mmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (15:21)
the best way you can and making it express itself as much as possible. So here we are, of course, increasing in complexity. This wine ages a bit longer in big barrels. We again strongly believe of opening a bottle and tasting the Sangiovese more than the wood. And this is why we don't use Barrique. We don't use new barrique but we use big oak casks.

And it's all about elegance. And this is, think, what really characterizes Bindi Sergardi is that they're wines that even if you close your eyes, you know you are in Chianti Classico. You know it's a riserva. And you really know where it comes from. And the elegance is the first element that comes out. At the same time, I like to think...

Laurie Forster (15:58)
Mmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (16:08)
somehow the wines also represent our personality. So they give us smile and they're joyful. They're joyful, meaning that they're full of many different aspects that just come out of the glass. And whenever you concentrate on one thing or another, you say, oh, I can feel roses. Oh, I can sense mint. Oh, I can sense orange marmalade. And again, that's the beauty. And you can put your hand on the

on the glass and then take your hand off and here new flavors come out. The bouquet is just wonderful how it evolves even through very few minutes. And of course in an hour or two even more so.

Laurie Forster (16:41)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, and

And here you have more developed fruit, whereas in the, you know, our first Chianti, more of that fresh fruit knows and tastes. Here, maybe more developed fruit and also like a warmer notes, you know, some of that warmer notes from the additional time in oak. Are these big botti like the huge oak barrels that are like bigger than a person?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (17:15)
So they're between 43 and 50 hectoliters. So they're the big botti.

Laurie Forster (17:20)
Mm.

Yes, that's what I in Piedmont That's what they call them.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (17:24)
And we use gamba,

we, that in fact they're made in Piedmont, so they're Italian. That's another thing that we really care a lot at Bindi sergardi. We really like to support locals when it's possible, but local can be also Italian in a way for the botti But all, we really try to work with people from Siena with

companies that are in Siena because we really believe that's another pillar of sustainability together with the cultural sustainability we were talking before. So we really like to promote even when people come to visit Bindi Sergardi in Moceni, which is a house dating back to 1067, where every renovation has been done in full respect of tradition.

Laurie Forster (18:08)
Are you still there?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (18:13)
We like to have people come and we talk about the history of the place, about the culture of the place. So that's a very important pillar of sustainability for us, together of course, with social sustainability and for us that is creating a community, working with our neighbors, taking care of so many assets, having people come and do walks.

in our vineyards with their dogs by foot. Many others closed the gates. We're open. We believe in sharing. And it's, again, a very important aspect of our sustainability. And this also, I think, came out a lot in Chianti Classico, which...

in history has also been a bit closed because in Tuscany people sometimes don't really have a great opening to the neighbors, let's put it this way, but with the zonation of Chianti Classico it was wonderful how every producer of each zone started communicating, started asking for help when needed or asking advice.

It's wonderful. It's a revolution. It's a Rinascimento, renaissance of Chianti Classico. And of course we are number one in line.

Laurie Forster (19:27)
I love that.

Yes, and I love the, you know, our, first Chianti we tasted was fresh and vibrant. You know, here we're moving to something that's a little more elegant, a little bit more nuanced, I guess, if you will. And, you know, when would you say, you know, what's the right occasion to break out the Reserva versus breaking out your last Chianti Classico that we tried?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (19:56)
Yes, I agree when you talk about this more mature fruit. Just to give you an idea, usually the Sangiovese the Riserva is harvested a week or two after the Chianti Classico because we really try to have that peak in the phenolical aspect. So to have really those softer tannins and of course at that point

you have a little bit more mature fruit in the glass. The Riserva, never be scared. This is the beauty of Chianti Classico. You don't have to weigh, you don't have to keep it in the cellar. Of course, I wouldn't drink it at 10 a.m. in the morning without eating anything, but there's always a good reason to.

open up a riserva and enjoy it. Again, that's the beauty of Chianti Classico Even when it grows in complexity, that doesn't mean that it's a bold or a very heavy wine. No, it's more on the elegant side. So it really depends on your mood. I always think that wine is a matter of mood. So if you are in the mood for a fresher wine, you go with a Chianti Classico

Maybe if you're leaving a bit more tired, you want more fresher wine at Chianti Classico. Instead, if you're ready to concentrate a little bit more on the wine you're enjoying, then that's the time when you want to drink a Riserva, I Colli Riserva, Bindi Sergardi Riserva. But really, I think that this lovely acidity that the Sangiovese has in Chianti Classico.

Laurie Forster (21:23)
Mm-hmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (21:25)
and the lovely elegance of Bindi Sergardi make our wines enjoyable almost always in a way, depends more from how you feel than from the wine, if it makes sense.

Laurie Forster (21:37)
Right.

Absolutely makes sense. That's beautiful. Awesome. All right. And now one of things I wanted to point out, you mentioned that consortium that was put together. When you see the rooster here on the label, that means that the winery is part of that consortium, correct?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (21:53)
Correct. Now, this is, thank you for pointing it out because I think that's another thing that makes Chianti Classico extremely avant-garde because you actually have an emblem. I can't recall another appellation that has a visual emblem on the label, on the bottle. Now, everybody who bottles Chianti Classico has to put

the black rooster. Before it wasn't, there was no obligation, now you have to put it. So even if you're not part of the consortium, but you produce Chianti Classico, you actually have to put it on. But I think this is great because we must be proud producers and we have to spread the word. And what better than a visual emblem that also tells a lovely story. It's a legend of our territory.

Laurie Forster (22:30)
Mmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (22:43)
So there's a story behind it and it's very recognizable. So sometimes people get confused on how to recognize a Chianti Classico. What better than the black rooster?

Laurie Forster (22:54)
when I do any Italian wine classes or wine dinners, people are very fascinated by the DOC and DOCG labels that we have on the bottle.

And that has more to do with the classification of the different, wine regions and whether they fit into those DOC or DOCG levels. I'm curious because, some people say it tells you about the quality of the wine. and others say, well, the DOC, the DOCG doesn't guarantee quality. just guarantees that that is a region of quality.

How would you come down on that?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (23:27)
I love you.

DOC and DOCG, Denominazione di Origine Controllata, it's an appellation which is the origins of those wines are controlled and DOCG which are all of our wines, we produce Nobile di Montepulciano we produce, and I'll tell you about the three estates we have, but anyway, Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti Classico,

Chianti Colissenesi and Chianti are all DOCG meaning they are Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. So they are the Appellation of Origins that are controlled and guaranteed. We undergo controls that check our vineyards, they check the quantity we produce.

that check the quality we produce because every single Bindi Sergardi bottle or every single DOCG bottle in Chianti Classico goes to a commission that then says, yes, this wine has reached the quality, but you cannot bottle a Chianti Classico or a Chianti or a Nobile di Montepulciano, which does not meet the requirements of the commission that says this is a wine that...

is okay for the appellation it belongs to. So yes, it's a symbol of guarantee when there's the G and it means that it's controlled when it's a DOC.

Laurie Forster (24:55)
All right. Thank you. Yes. Absolutely. All right. So it does have to do with quality because it is being controlled and monitored. And if it didn't live up to the quality of those individual areas, it would not be able to wear the label. Correct?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (24:55)
So it's a further step of the DOCD.

It becomes table wine. If the commission says that your wine does not reach that quality, it becomes a table wine. It loses the right to become a Chianti Classico.

Laurie Forster (25:15)
Okay, perfect.

Gotcha.

Perfect. All right. And the opposite of table wine is the Grand Selezione. This is the top of the heap for you, right? Tell me a little bit about this.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (25:36)
The top of the pyramid!

I'm so proud that Chianti Classico in its evolution, that we were talking about came forth with this incredible project of the Gran Selezione. Gran Selezione, first of all, has to be produced by grapes that are

owned by the winery. Now for us that's very simple because we bottle only grapes that come from our vineyards so that's very easy. It has to be at least 90 percent Sangiovese so there's a greater percentage of Sangiovese involved and this will be starting from next year but anyway we are 100 percent Sangiovese so that's very easy. The wine has to age at least 30 months

in the winery. us, it's almost four years actually, so it's a very long time. And I think this gave, it was very stimulating when this project came along in 2014 for all Chianti Classico producers, because Gran Selezione really is the proof

that the quality of the wine coming from Chianti Classico has nothing to envy to any other wine of any other part of the world. Now, this might seem a little bit less romantic, but for some years Chianti Classico had faced, let's say, a price range, meaning that for some reason it was within

to train tracks that you wouldn't pay more than X amount of money for it. And so that was kind of a limitation to quality because people were saying, what if I produce better quality? You still won't pay me more because it's a Chianti class, can't be a limit. And for some, somehow this Gran Selezione

really broke that wall and gave the hope and the will to producers to increase the quality, look more into detail and really express the very, very, very best they could. And that was for some. For others like us, we already produced our Gran selezione. So as when

the let's say the dress of Gran Selezione came along, we were very happy to put it on the wine we were already producing. And it really is another incredible step that Chianti Classico has brought forth. And here you have, si, si, si, we are really at

Laurie Forster (28:19)
It is so elegant.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (28:24)
1600 feet, we're very high, we're one of the highest estates in Chianti Classico. And this altitude, this freshness comes out in our Mocenni 89, where every grape really is cured as it can be and selected as it can be.

Although again, it's that plot of land and that's the reason of the name, Mocenni 89. 89 stands for the registry number of the parcel of land. To say this wine comes from this specific piece of land. ⁓ And with 89, you can enjoy great cheeses, you can enjoy great game, can enjoy Christmas, Easter birthdays.

Laurie Forster (28:59)
Mmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (29:09)
but even unevening, unevening with whoever you love because let's not forget that wine is about sharing, it's about communication. I always say that with a glass of wine words come out faster and better ⁓ without bitterness. And this is what it's meant for.

Laurie Forster (29:10)
Hehehe.

Mm-hmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (29:31)
to be enjoyed with others. It's meant to be a moment of being together. And we must not forget this purpose of this incredible, incredible product of nature.

Laurie Forster (29:43)
Wow, it really is quite unique. And did you say this, Grand Selezione level is just new since what year?

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (29:52)
2014, as a project of Chianti Classico started in 2014, then you could have produced a gran selezione of wine that you had in your cellar if it met the requirements. But the first time we signed was in 2014 when the project really...

Laurie Forster (29:53)
Okay.

Okay.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (30:19)
was born.

Laurie Forster (30:20)
That's a beautiful. Well, these are all beautiful lines and each. yeah, go ahead.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (30:21)
And I lived it. was...

It was the first, I remember very well because it was my first years in, right after I became member of the board of Chianti Classico. it was, these have been incredible years really, these 11 years because there's been so many things going on. It's such an active territory. I'm really proud and I'm very thankful because I like to remember that

I'm here not because of only me, of course, it's part of also what I did, but I'm here because of the people that came before me. Thinking of Chianti Classico, my great grandfather has always been defined one of the souls that has given birth to the Chianti Classico.

going to my grandmother, she's the one that made all this possible. She's the one for which we're here at the 23rd, actually with my, with the younger generation, with the kids, we are at the 24th, but we are at the 23rd generation because when in Italy, everybody started abandoning the countryside right after World War II, although she was a woman.

Consider that back in those days, one woman out of two was completely illiterate. She was a woman in Italy. She was orphan when she was 17 and a widow. My grandfather never came back from World War II and my father was just born in 1941. Don't ask me how she did it, but she did not abandon the countryside as all of our neighbors did.

And she continued farming. She continued winemaking. And really, she's a point of reference for me and for my sister and I because she's really the one who made this possible to be one of the very few families that has continued for so long because everybody interrupted after World War II. And I think the women's part is something that has

Laurie Forster (32:13)
Hmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (32:19)
always characterized Bindi Sergardi because even the first Calidonia Sergardi who married Gerolamo Bindi said, you want my land? Well, you have to have my last name too. And that's how the Bindi Sergardi family was born. So women here are quite strong. I hope to live to that level.

Laurie Forster (32:32)
⁓

I love that.

Well, you have a lot of strong women in this story and that's a really great one to tell and hopefully, you know, your daughters will be carrying on that tradition as we move forward. You mentioned Montepulciano

me a little bit about vineyards and those wines.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (32:57)
Well, yes. So we are in the south part of the province of Siena, in another incredibly beautiful village of Montepulciano. I recommend everybody to come and visit Siena and to stay at least three days because there are so many villages, so many places to see. The countryside is unbelievable and the art. I like to remember that in Siena we have

Michelangelo, Donatello, Raffaello, I mean, are there more geniuses? Montepulciano definitely is incredible as a place to see, and of course, incredible as a wine. We were talking about DOCGs, and Nobile di Montepulciano is the first DOCG of Italy.

Laurie Forster (33:25)
Yeah.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (33:47)
So that's quite a big start. I think Nobile di Montepulciano, Marcianella is the name of the estate, is very fascinating because it has together all in one a wine that has almost an old

When you drink Nobile di Montepulciano, it just tells you that it has an old soul. But at the same time, it has the vibrancy of the Sangiovese. And this union is really what makes for me Nobile di Montepulciano unique. Now, our family has a branch from my grandmother's side, which is

Laurie Forster (34:12)
Mmm

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (34:29)
called Bonce Casuccini, but I don't want to get too much into the historical aspect. my father inherited from that branch, but he didn't get the land ⁓ with the vineyards of Nobile di Montefiore. But as we grew stronger through the years, my father had an opportunity of buying

Laurie Forster (34:42)
Mmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (34:51)
Noble di Montepulciano vineyards and he couldn't resist and get it back into the family. So again we are very happy and proud to produce Noble di Montepulciano again. Now it's been some years but I think that that essence that comes out of

Laurie Forster (34:55)
course.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (35:10)
of an old spirit and a joyful santa visita tells a lot about the story of Monte Bucchano where of course the land is completely different, we are at different altitude, everything is different. This is what is very important to underline that every single estate of ours has deep roots in...

Laurie Forster (35:20)
Mm-hmm.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (35:30)
in the land where it is, in the cultural identity. And this is why every one of our wines really expresses this identity, this culture through the expression of the Sangiovese. Even because even our Nobre di Montepulciano is Sangiovese. And again, so fascinating, so fascinating.

Laurie Forster (35:49)
It is.

It is fascinating how Sangiavese has so many expressions in Italy, depending on the region. And this has been such a great masterclass in Chianti, Classico and Reserva and Grand Selezione.

Thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing all your knowledge about Chianti Classico. And I'm going to make sure we meet next October when I'm in Tuscany.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (36:13)
that will be wonderful, Lari. I can't wait for you to come over and again, cheer together with a wonderful wine of Bindi Sergardi

Laurie Forster (36:22)
Cheers. Thank you so much.

Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi (36:24)
Grazie, grazie mille!

Laurie Forster (36:25)
Grazie mille.

Laurie Forster (36:26)
I don't know about you guys, but I could listen to Alessandra for a whole nother hour. I'll post a link to her website, the wines we tasted, and everything else we discussed on my show page, which will be at thewinecoach.com. Click on blog, all the info is there. And don't forget, if you're looking to wine with me, you have so many choices. In December, virtually from anywhere in the world, I'm going to have a bubbly bash 2020.

five so we can celebrate this year and I can introduce you to a few of my favorite bubblies perfect for the holidays and beyond. And then of course, if you want to travel to Tuscany with me next October, 2026, all that information also on my website or you can email me at lori at the wine coach.com. All right, as always, I so appreciate you listening to the show. If you know another wine lover who might enjoy this content.

Please pass it on. And until next week, cheers.