Tignanello: The Wine That Named The Tig

Every so often a bottle of wine does more than fill a glass; it changes how someone sees the world. For Meghan Markle, that bottle was Tignanello, the celebrated Italian Super Tuscan from the house of Antinori, and the wine she loved so much that she named her lifestyle blog after it. “Tig” was her nickname for it, and when she launched The Tig in 2014, she borrowed the name to capture a feeling: the moment taste and understanding click into place.

It is a lovely origin story, and it points to a genuinely great wine. Tignanello is not merely a nice bottle Meghan happened to like; it is one of the most important Italian wines of the last century, a revolutionary that rewrote the rules of Tuscan winemaking and helped launch an entire category.

Here is the story of Tignanello: what it is, why it matters, and how to find a bottle of the wine behind The Tig.

The wine that named a blog

Meghan has described Tignanello as the wine that made her understand wine: the bottle that turned a vague appreciation into a real, sensory “aha” moment. She adopted “Tig” as shorthand for that feeling of discovery, of the world suddenly coming into focus, and made it the name and spirit of her blog, which we explore in full in our piece on The Tig, Meghan’s lifestyle blog.

It is a telling choice. Of all the things she could have named a lifestyle brand after, she chose a moment of learning to taste properly, a small act of paying attention. That instinct, that pleasure in noticing, ran right through The Tig, and it started, fittingly, with a glass of very good Tuscan red.

What is Tignanello?

Tignanello is a red wine made by Marchesi Antinori, one of Italy’s oldest and greatest wine houses, from a single vineyard in the heart of Chianti Classico. It is a Super Tuscan, the informal name for the great Tuscan reds that broke with local rules to make something world-class, and it is widely regarded as one of the wines that started the whole movement.

Predominantly Sangiovese, the classic Tuscan grape, blended with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, it comes from the Tenuta Tignanello estate, its vines planted around 390 metres up on the limestone-and-marl hills. It is grand, age-worthy and expensive: a serious wine by any measure, and a genuine icon of Italy.

A revolution in a bottle

Tignanello’s importance is historical as much as sensory. Its first vintage was 1971, released in 1974, and it broke nearly every rule of Chianti at the time. It was among the first Sangiovese wines aged in small French oak barrels (barriques); one of the first modern Tuscan reds to blend in non-traditional Cabernet; and one of the first in the region to leave out the white grapes that local law then required.

Those choices meant Tignanello could not even be labelled Chianti Classico. It was, in effect, demoted to humble “table wine” for refusing to follow the rules. And yet it was so obviously superb that it forced a rethink of what Tuscan wine could be, helping to launch the Super Tuscan category that transformed the region’s reputation. A rebel that became an institution: it is a very good story, and a true one.

The Antinori family

Behind the wine stands the Antinori family, who have been making wine in Tuscany for more than six hundred years, since 1385, across twenty-six generations. That extraordinary continuity gives the house both deep roots and, paradoxically, the confidence to innovate, as the 1971 gamble on Tignanello proved.

It was Marchese Piero Antinori, with the legendary winemaker Giacomo Tachis, who drove the creation of Tignanello and its stablemates. The family remains at the helm today, and a visit to their striking modern winery in Chianti Classico has become a pilgrimage for wine lovers, the home of the bottle that changed Italian wine.

What Tignanello tastes like

For all its history, Tignanello is above all a pleasure to drink. Expect a wine of real depth and elegance: dark cherry and plum, notes of tobacco, leather, herbs and sweet spice from the oak, with the bright acidity and fine, firm tannins that are Sangiovese’s signature. It is powerful but poised, built to be enjoyed young with food or cellared for many years.

It is the kind of wine that rewards attention, which is presumably exactly why it gave Meghan her “aha” moment. Served with a proper Sunday roast or a plate of Tuscan food, it is a lesson in why people fall in love with wine in the first place.

How to buy Tignanello in the UK

Tignanello is a premium wine, typically priced from around £100 a bottle, and is best bought from established fine-wine merchants who store it properly. Specialists such as Berry Bros & Rudd, Millesima and other reputable merchants carry it by the vintage; a selection of Antinori wines, including Tignanello where stocked, can also be found on Antinori Tignanello on Amazon.

If the icon is beyond today’s budget, the good news is that Antinori and its Tuscan neighbours make more accessible wines in the same spirit: everyday Super Tuscans and Chianti Classico bottles that offer a taste of the style for a fraction of the price. Our profile of Berry Bros & Rudd, Britain’s oldest wine merchant, is a good place to start for buying well. (Please enjoy any alcohol responsibly; for over-18s.)

Why the wine still matters

Tignanello endures because it was brave. It took a risk on quality over convention, was punished for it on paper, and won on taste, and in doing so it helped drag Tuscan wine into the modern era. That a young Meghan Markle should have named her blog after it is a small, fitting tribute to a wine all about seeing things freshly.

Whether or not you ever open a bottle, it is a wonderful story: a rebel red from a 600-year-old family, a nickname, and a blog that carried its spirit of discovery to millions. Browse more of our British Living stories for the good-life side of royal-adjacent taste.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Meghan’s blog called The Tig?

“Tig” was Meghan Markle’s nickname for Tignanello, an Italian Super Tuscan wine she has described as the bottle that first made her truly understand wine. She used it as shorthand for a moment of discovery and named her lifestyle blog after it.

What is Tignanello wine?

Tignanello is a premium red wine made by Marchesi Antinori from a single vineyard in Chianti Classico, Tuscany. Predominantly Sangiovese with a little Cabernet, it is one of the original Super Tuscans and a benchmark of modern Italian wine.

Why is Tignanello a Super Tuscan?

Tignanello broke Chianti’s rules by ageing Sangiovese in French oak barriques, blending in Cabernet, and omitting the then-required white grapes, so it could not be labelled Chianti Classico. Its excellence helped launch the “Super Tuscan” category of great rule-breaking Tuscan reds.

When was the first vintage of Tignanello?

The first vintage of Tignanello was 1971, released to market in 1974. It was among the first Sangiovese wines aged in small French oak barrels and one of the first modern Tuscan reds blended with Cabernet.

How much does Tignanello cost?

Tignanello is a premium wine that typically starts from around £100 a bottle in the UK, with older and rarer vintages costing considerably more. It is best bought from established fine-wine merchants.

What does Tignanello taste like?

Expect dark cherry and plum fruit, notes of tobacco, leather, herbs and sweet oak spice, with bright acidity and firm, fine tannins from its Sangiovese base. It is elegant and age-worthy, lovely with roast meats and Tuscan food.

Wine details are drawn from Marchesi Antinori and widely published wine references; prices are approximate as of 2026 and vary by vintage and merchant. Please drink responsibly.