Vernaccia di San Gimignano: 2025 vintage impresses with quality and future challenges

Great success for the fourth edition of Regina Ribelle – Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Fest, the event promoted by the Consorzio del vino Vernaccia di San Gimignano in collaboration with the Municipality of San Gimignano. The event celebrated two milestones that mark the history of Italian wine: 750 years since the first documented attestation of Vernaccia di San Gimignano and 60 years since the recognition of Italy’s first DOC in 1966.

For two days the historic center of the Tuscan town hosted tastings, meetings, and in-depth sessions dedicated to the region’s principal white wine. According to data released by the Consorzio, approximately 850 enthusiasts participated in the event, with over 7,000 tastings conducted at the participating wineries’ stands.

During the event, the 2025 vintage of Vernaccia di San Gimignano was presented. A vintage that the Consorzio describes as of good quality, characterized by balance, freshness, and territorial expression.

The 2025 harvest developed in a complex climatic context, which required constant monitoring by producers, also thanks to the agro-meteorological alert system managed by the Consorzio, based on data collected from seven weather stations distributed throughout the San Gimignano territory.

The approximately 750 hectares dedicated to the production of Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg (out of 2,000 in the entire area) produced in the vintage 3,851,717 liters of wine. A decrease of 5.6% compared to the 4,069,843 liters of the previous year. However, bottles released to market increased, rising from 3,489,725 in 2024 to 4,207,057 in 2025, with a 20.6% increase.

The wineries that claimed the denomination in the 2025 harvest numbered 147, of which 81 are associated with the Consorzio.

“This fourth edition of Regina Ribelle carries a special emotion, that of celebrating two milestones that belong to the history of Italian wine and not just our denomination. 750 years of Vernaccia di San Gimignano and 60 years as Italy’s first DOC are not just numbers: they are the roots from which everything began,” declared Consorzio president Manrico Biagini.

“Seeing journalists and enthusiasts fill the squares of San Gimignano, sharing a glass of Vernaccia di San Gimignano with the same curiosity and passion as those who produce it, is the most beautiful way to celebrate this anniversary. The Vernaccia di San Gimignano we drink today is not the same as what was drunk in the ’90s, nor the same as 15 years ago. We are a denomination that is evolving,” Biagini concludes.

The celebration of 750 years of Vernaccia di San Gimignano has brought to the forefront numerous historical testimonies documenting the wine’s prestige over the centuries. From Dante Alighieri to Giovanni Boccaccio, from Sante Lancerio to Francesco Redi, to Mario Soldati, Vernaccia di San Gimignano appears in literary works, historical documents, and travel accounts that attest to its renown well beyond Tuscan borders.

Alongside historical memory, however, emerges a reflection on the denomination’s present. Vernaccia di San Gimignano does not need to prove its historical value, but must consolidate its positioning in the contemporary market. The results of Regina Ribelle confirm public interest and the event’s ability to build an autonomous identity compared to the regional preview calendar.

The challenge of participation and cohesion within the denomination remains open. 25 wineries participated in the event, a significant representation but still far from the 81 members associated with the Consorzio. An aspect that could play an increasingly important role in strategies for territorial valorization.

The “White Pearl in a sea of Reds” continues to contend with the common perception of the Tuscan territory as predominantly “red-focused.” The promotional work for a white wine that represents one of the most historic and identity-defining expressions of regional winemaking could benefit more from greater participation, cohesion, and shared commitment among producers.

The 2025 vintage confirms on tasting what was presented by the Consorzio. Many noteworthy samples. Fresh, austere, terroir-driven wines characterized by a pronounced saline vein and an almost textural body. Often not immediately expressive on the nose, they reveal themselves slowly, offering depth. A pleasant vintage to drink but especially to interpret in perspective.

The samples presented of Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg 2024 are also interesting. Equally vertical and savory as the 2025s, they offer, on average, a livelier nose with notes of fruit and aromatic herbs.

Fullness. Freshness. Structure. Salinity. Longevity. Vernaccia di San Gimignano confirms its leading role among Italian whites (if there were still any need).

Honorable mention also for the (limited) red wine produced in San Gimignano.