In the two decades, Bibi Graetz has become one of the brightest – and certainly most colourful – figures in Tuscan winemaking. Bibi was born and raised in the famous Castello di Vincigliata, where his parents instilled in him a deep passion for art, a legacy that has always run through his family.
Around the castle, the family owned two hectares of vineyards, which Bibi’s father cultivated to produce wine for family use only. Bibi grew up having fun in the vineyards and the cellar, taking part in harvest every year. Wine has always been part of his family, not as a business concern but to transmit the culture and the tradition of the place where he was born. He decided to found his Winery in 2000 in Vincigliata, making it his life project and dedicating all his life to making outstanding wines.
He was driven by the meticulous care and almost obsessive attention to every step of production, in his quest to create truly exceptional wines.
Bibi’s family has always stood out for his exceptional artistic spirit, which he, in turn, has passed on to his children. He expresses this artistic vein through his wine labels—true works of art—and his connection to art also shapes his winemaking philosophy. Bibi vinifies each vineyard parcel separately; after aging, he works with over 200 individual parcels each year to create the perfect blend, as if he was using colors from a painter’s palette.
From the very beginning, Bibi’s passion has focused on old vines, to the point that he is now considered the largest collector of old vines in Tuscany. His vineyards are all located at high altitudes, a factor that creates a beautiful balance between the concentration derived from old vines and the freshness provided by the constant breeze that characterize the vineyards.
Bibi Graetz White Wines: “The Dream on the Island of Giglio”
In 2003, driven by his deep love for the sea, Bibi decided to embark on a new project and travelled to the island where he had spent his childhood summers with his family—the Island of Giglio off the Tuscan coast. He was completely enchanted by the place, its natural beauty, and the ancient Ansonica vines that overlook the sea.
The Island of Giglio has been famous since Roman times for producing Ansonica; it was once called the “Green Island” because it was entirely covered with vineyards. The old terraced vineyards and the island’s constant sea breezes captivated Bibi, who could not imagine a better place in Tuscany to produce his white wines, Testamatta Bianco, Colore Bianco and Casamatta Bianco.
The sandy, granite-rich soils make these wines truly unique on an island that allows only heroic viticulture. Produced in small quantities in a tiny cellar in the village of Giglio Castello, these wines are characterized by freshness, minerality, complexity, and incredible aging potential—the hallmarks of Bibi Graetz’s white wines.
