Located not far from the town of
Castiglione della Pescaia, in the heart of the
Maremma, there is a particularly beautiful winery called
Le Mortelle. Vineyards and wineries are dotted all over the area but this particular example is especially charming and set within the most extraordinary surroundings. It is an excellent spot to go and sample and purchase some delicious Tuscan wines and learn more about wine and wine-making so, if you have found a
vacation rental in the Grosetto-Maremma area and are looking to indulge in some local vintages, make sure to head to Le Mortelle.
Named after the “mortella”, or wild myrtle, that grows all over the surrounding landscape of the area, the winery is on an estate that was once part of an even larger estate called La Badiola that is recorded on the maps of Grand Duke Leopoldo II of
Tuscany in the 19th century. La Badiola was a pilot version of a model of an estate that the Hapsburg Lorraine rulers of the Grand Duchy hoped to establish, in which the marshy and malaria-ridden lands of this coastal part of Tuscany would be drained and repurposed for raising cattle. This land, however, has been since reappropriated once more and the 270 hectares of the estate have been planted with 170 hectares of vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, as well as more recently planted vineyards of white grape varieties such as Vermentino, Ansonica, Viognier, and a small area of Carménère by the Antinori family.