Some of Italy’s finest wines come from a little known region in southwestern Tuscany called the Maremma.

The literal translation for Maremma is low-marshy lands by the seashore. In the 1930s, the government drained most of the marshes, making the surrounding land more habitable. Many of the new residents were cowboys, or Butteri. The Maremma is also the birthplace of Super Tuscan wines. These revolutionary blends came out in the 70s, and didn’t follow traditional Tuscan blending practices Eventually, the Super Tuscan wines developed their own quality brand. In the last few years the area has exploded with vineyards. One of these belongs to the Zonin family, the country’s largest private wine enterprise, which has been producing outstanding Italian wine for seven generations.

When Gianni Zonin, President of Zonin Family Wines & Estates, bought 600 acres in Roccastrada in Maremma for his vineyard, the land was perfect for growing Sangiovese and Vermentino grapes. The hills are rich in minerals and the Mediterranean Sea breezes keep the heat down in the summer, helping the grapes stay healthy, and protect the vines in the winter from frost. The only problem with the property was the lack of fresh water. When Gianni inquired about available water sources, he learned of a lake in the hills eight miles away. He bought the lake then built an aqueduct to irrigate his vineyard. He had the winery designed by architect Mirko Amatori, who blended the estate into the surrounding landscape. They restored the original buildings of Rocca di Montemassi leaving pines and olive trees, as well as some refurbished pre-existing agricultural structures.

The location is also rich in history, so much so that Gianni and Silvana Zonin built a museum of Rural Civilization on the property, exhibiting over 3,000 objects dating from the 19th century to the pre-war period. All around the Maremma are archeological sites, with Etruscan and Roman ruins. Overlooking the Rocca Montemassi vineyard is a castle, which was built around the 10th century. Many battles over hundreds of years were fought in the area. More recently, the area was known for mining. There’s even a memorial held at the vineyard every year to honor miners who lost their lives there. The region is now becoming famous for its rich flavored wines. It is estimated that the wineries in the Maremma will produce over a hundred new wines in the next year alone.

The Rocca Montemassi winery produces 100,000 cases annually. Most of the wine produced is Sangiovese, but they also grow Syrah and Merlot, which are blended with the Sangiovese to create a proprietary blend called Sassabruna. Zonin’s Rocca di Montemassi Sangiovese, is high quality with intense aromas and flavors. The Le Focaie, meaning firestone, is deep ruby red, with full flavor and scents of violets, cherries and wild berries. It’s well suited for the savory dried or grilled meats and sharp cheeses from the region. It’s also great with the lamb or steak at Stonewood Grill, or even enjoyed by itself.