A founding member of the Consorzio del Chianti Classico, Verrazzano has made wine since the earliest times. The property occupies the site of former Etruscan and Roman settlements and was home to the explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano who discovered New York Bay in the early 16th century. But its growing reputation among wine lovers is due to its present owners, Luigi and Silvia Cappellini, an engaging couple who with their two daughters call Verrazzano home. Verrazzano's modern-day claim to fame stems from its wines with 105 acres of vines thriving in its limestone-rich soil. Though present in the warmer, southern portions of Chianti Classico, limestone is unique to Verrazzano in the cooler climate of the northern part of the zone. This singular combination of limestone soil and cooler growing conditions accounts for the muscularity and finesse apparent in Verrazzano wines. Since acquiring the estate in 1958, the Cappellini family has replanted Verrazzano's vineyards, which fan out from the forest limits down to the valley below. Fertilization is organic and vineyards are weeded by hand. Green harvesting results in a heightened concentration of flavor in the remaining fruit and increasingly high quality wines. Harvest is conducted entirely by hand. Luigi and Silvia Cappellini's joy and sense of pride in their home are evident everywhere one looks. Warm and generous hosts, they welcome a constant stream of visitors at the estate. The formerly neglected manor house, portions of which date back to the 7th century, has been beautifully restored.