Terreno in Tuscany

Our vineyard, Terreno, is situated in the heart of Chianti Classico, just outside the village of Greve in Chianti. Here in beautiful Tuscany, wine has been cultivated since the time of the Romans. The sangiovese grape dominates the vineyards, and the region’s traditions are a natural part of everything that happens on the estate.

Terreno is connected to The Winery Hotel through the Ruhne family, who started making wine here in 1988. Since then, they have developed a philosophy that runs through all their work. A philosophy that has changed and developed with the evolution of the Chianti Classico region itself. Like the rest of the area, Terreno has gone from making simple table wines to terroir-driven wines where sangiovese expresses its wide range of nuances in the glass. It has been, and continues to be, a journey meaning adapting and changing continually.

The vineyards and wines have been certified organic since 2014, an important step, but the Rhune family did not feel this was enough. Today Terreno is 100 per cent self-sufficient to satisfy the needs of the estate. All energy comes from solar panels, heat is generated from wood from forest maintenance and water from the lake to irrigate the garden. The aim is to pass on Terreno to the next generation in better condition than when it was taken over.

At Terreno, daily efforts are made to raise the quality of everything that is done, because the focus on details makes the difference—from field to bottle. To be able to work artisanally and avoid additives, the grapes must be perfect when they enter the cellar. Therefore, Terreno harvests all grapes by hand. There is also a second sorting by hand. Terreno works artisanally without additives except for a small amount of added sulfur. A choice made to ensure that the grapes can reflect their growing area and vintage in the best way.

To work like Terreno requires precision, sensitivity, and technical skill. The Ruhne family is glad to work with Giacomo Fioravanti in the winery. He is a Tuscan oenologist that worked over ten years at Isole e Olena, the renowned Chianti Classico producer. Giacomo joined Terreno because he believes in the vision and wants to be involved in building on the unique project together with the Ruhne family.

Sofia Ruhne has led Terreno’s ambitious team for the past ten years. She was just seven years old when her parents, Mats and Birgitta, decided to buy the estate. Having grown up at Terreno, she now oversees both the vineyard in Tuscany and the wines at The Winery Hotel.

Her time at the estate has been marked by many changes to adapt to current conditions. For example, the estate has shifted to the more complex soft pruning method, which requires more work hours and advanced skills. Terreno is experimenting in the cellar to better understand the terroir and grape varieties. Different vessels from different materials are being used for aging to adapt to every vintage.

Terreno consists of 150 hectares, of which 20 hectares are vineyards and 10 are olive groves. The rest is mostly forest. Terreno works with native grape varieties, where the king of Tuscan grapes, sangiovese, has a leading role. It is followed by canaiolo and colorino amongst the red varieties and trebbiano toscano and malvasia among the whites. In total, Terreno produces around 100 000 bottles per year. It may sound like a lot, but in the world of wine, it’s considered small. Larger producers often make millions of bottles and, unlike Terreno, buy grapes or wine from other growers. At Terreno, only estate-grown grapes are used.

Terreno also strongly believes in the division of Chianti Classico into 11 villages, sub-zones called UGA (unità geografiche aggiuntive in Italian). The division makes it possible to focus and look deeper into the complex terroir of the region. The style of the wines from the different villages differs and each town has its specific character. Terreno’s vineyards are part of the two UGA Greve and Montefioralle. Terreno has been involved since the beginning in supporting the creation of the 11 villages, and Sofia Ruhne is today, as the first woman, the president of the producer organisation of Montefioralle.

Terreno also has a vineyard restaurant, open from early spring to late autumn. Here head chef Francesco Galli serves elegant dishes from local ingredients and vegetables from the organic kitchen garden. The estate hosts everything from intimate dinners to grand celebrations and weddings. Visitors can also enjoy guided winery tours and wine tastings.

At The Winery Hotel, the spirit of Terreno is felt throughout—from the design and décor to the flavors in the food, and of course, the estate’s wines served throughout the hotel.

Facts about Terreno

Area: Tuscany, Italy
District: Chianti Classico
Production: 100,000 bottles / year
Certification: Organic
Family: Mats, Birgitta, Anna, Victoria, Kajsa and Sofia Ruhne