Cetamura Wine Cellar

Welcome to the Cetamura Wine Cellar!  Did you know that there is a fine Chianti wine called “Cetamura”?    It is produced by the great winery of the Badia a Coltobuono, on whose property  is situated the hilltop settlement of Cetamura.

The hill of Cetamura is considered itself to be too high for vineyards (695m above sea level),  but there is no question that the inhabitants grew grapes for centuries in the surrounding fields to make wine in this historic region.  Excavations in the two wells on Zone I and Zone II of the site have yielded some 4,500 waterlogged grape pips in Etruscan and Roman levels that are under study so that we can learn more about the history of wines in Chianti.

Elsewhere in this exhibition, it is possible to see artifacts that were related to Etruscan customs of wine consumption.  A characteristic fine bucket (situla) for serving wine was found in Well # 1, perhaps simply discarded into the well shaft, or possibly having been repurposed for pulling up water.   Also found was the handle of an Etruscan wine strainer that would have filtered out sediment when the wine was poured.  Numerous pitchers found in the wells may have served for pouring wine as well as water from the wells.

Entering into our “cellar” you will find  further information about the wines of ancient Cetamura, derived from studies of a limited number of the grape pips found in the two wells.  An international team of experts has made pilot studies of the morphology and DNA of these grapes and of the environment of Cetamura del Chianti through the centuries as revealed by pollen studies.  Thus we are learning a great deal about the landscape and agricultural practices of the inhabitants of the Three Cetamuras.