If you’ve been to Tuscany, you had vin santo, the sweet, thick fragrant nectar often served with another Tuscan legend, cantucci cookies. To be fair, vin santo is typical of all regions of central Italy and some variants of it can be found also in the North-East of the country, especially in Trentino, where it’s produced with  Nosiola  grapes, and in Veneto, where it’s made with Garganega. 

The origins of vin santo are mysterious and border on legend, especially when it comes to its name, which translates, literally, as “holy wine.” Its first attestations come from the early years of Christianity, when it’s likely the expression vin santo was used to indicate wine that was pure enough to be drunk during mass.