Countless foreign nationals, lured by the attractions of the Tuscan countryside, have bought wine properties in the region. For some it is an investment, for others a holiday home or a place to retire.
If there is a functioning winery on the property, they will typically either maintain the current staff, or engage consultants to supervise the winemaking. It is unusual for the new owners to arrive with the intention of becoming hands-on growers and winemakers themselves.
I spoke with two people, with very different stories, but who both abandoned previous occupations to become highly successful wine producers in Tuscany: Puru Manvi of Manvi Wines in Montepulciano, and James Marshall-Lockyer of Tenuta Licinia in Lucignano.