La Rocca Di Frassinello: Best Destination Winery In Italy

A new Renzo Piano-designed vineyard now sits in an up-and-coming district of Tuscany. Plus: Where to eat and stay nearby.

Tuscany’s Maremma region is gaining notice for destinations old (Roman-era baths at Terme di Saturnia) and new (Alain Ducasse’s L’Andana resort). La Rocca is in the latter category, opening in 2007 after five years of design and construction overseen by Italy’s Pritzker Prize winner Renzo Piano, known in the United States for the New York Times Building. The winery combines traditional forms of Tuscan architecture with an industrial theme—steel-mesh shades, a terra-cotta piazza, and a tall spire concealing heliostats that reflect daylight into the interior. The cellar houses a special-events venue that resembles an amphitheater, with up to 2,500 barrels (holding Le Sughere di Frassinello and Baffonero Merlot, rated 93 by Wine Spectator) lining four walls in multiple rows, descending to a gathering space partially lit by an aperture in the roof.
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Where To Eat
The aforementioned L’Andana, on the grounds of the 19th-century summer retreat of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, houses Ducasse’s Michelin-starred Trattoria Toscana.
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Where To Stay
As above—L’Andana’s amenities include an ESPA spa and a golf course.