All wines reflect the land from which they come. The greatest wines are usually estate wines, born from grapes grown on a special plot of land and vinified right on the property under the watchful eyes of the owners themselves. The wines of Ruffino are no exception. At Ruffino today, wine is produced at a number of individual estates, all owned by members of the Folonari family. These are known as The Tuscan Estates of Ruffino, or Tenementi Ruffino. Together, The Tuscan Estates of Ruffino cover almost 5,000 acres, making Ruffino one of the most important land owners in Tuscany. Some 1,500 acres are available for vineyards, as the landscape is made up of hills, valleys and dense Mediterranean woods. These estates - thought of as Ruffino's "crown jewels" - represent the winery's commitment to controlling wine quality all the way from the grape to the bottle. Situated in the heart of Italy, the Tuscany region lends itself to producing superb wines. Its western shores are washed by the Mediterranean sea, which give it a far cooler temperature than Italy's sun-baked south. Also, it is more temperate than Italy's northern regions, which extend to the chilly Alps. Five of Tuscany's wine zones, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Carmignano, San Gimignano, and the Chianti Classico area, rank among Italy's most important wine-producing areas.