One of the most common complaints that foreigners make is that Tuscans are a bunch of nostalgia junkies, so attached to the past of their region to do anything in their power to keep everything exactly as it is. The average Tuscans doesn't care much about these accusations but it's true that this land seems to never change at all in the centuries. Despite some corners of our cities seem stuck in the Renaissance, this is just an illusion. Things change, sometimes in unexpected ways. When I was little, my family used to rent a vacation flat in a small seaside resort between Leghorn and Grosseto. Aside from the great beaches and the crystal blue sea, I particularly looked forward to the peaches you could only buy there, the best I've ever eaten. According to my father, the wine was nothing to write home about. We had no idea but just a few miles from our little flat, next to a road made popular by a Nobel laureate, a remarkable character had embarked on an impossible mission: create a new wine from nothing, beating the French masters at their own game. Many laughed at his attempts and there were a few painful failures on the way but in the end the determination of Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta won the day. His "alien" wine, which had nothing to share with Tuscan winemaking tradition, is considered by many experts as the best wine on the planet. The tale of how this nobleman that loved nature, thoroughbred and wine managed to turn his impossible dream into reality is as fascinating as not widely known. That's why this week What's Up Tuscany will bring you to Bolgheri, on the Etruscan Coast, to tell you the story of the Sassicaia, the "new wine" that has taken the world by storm. Let us know if you like this kind of episode or if you'd rather us talk about food, local specialties, travel tips or hidden corners of our region. We're just a message or email away - we'd love to get to know you! Don't be a stranger :-)
Email: podcast@larno.it
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Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany

LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.gamberorosso.it/notizie/notizie-vino/sassicaia-la-storia-il-mito-a-50-anni-dalla-prima-annata/
https://decanto.wine/sassicaia-origini-storia-e-abbinamento-del-miglior-vino-italiano/
https://www.villeecasali.com/country-living/stile-country/sassicaia-storia-di-un-vino-nobile/
https://www.firenzemadeintuscany.com/it/articolo/la-storia-del-sassicaia-in-una-lettera-storica-di-mario-incisa-della/
https://www.informacibo.it/sassicaia-storia-vino-italiano/

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Pipe Choir - Bom Bom Breakthrough (Instrumental)
Pipe Choir - Almost Time (Instrumental)
Pipe Choir - Blue Hope New Sky (Instrumental)
Pipe Choir - Gemini (Instrumental)
Wayne John Bradley - Blues Rock Original Instrumental
All released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-bom-bom-breakthrough-creative-commons-instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-almost-time-instrumental-creative-commons
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/p-c-iii-blue-hope-new-sky-creative-commons-instrumental
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Pipe_Choir/SGONS_Instrumentals/Pipe_Gemini_Instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/blues-rock-original-instrumentalcreative-commons
http://www.pipechoir.com/