Ep 569: The Masters of Vernaccia di San Gimignano Cappella Sant'Andrea with Owner & Winemaker Francesco Galgani

Ep 569: The Masters of Vernaccia di San Gimignano Cappella Sant'Andrea with Owner & Winemaker Francesco Galgani

Author: Elizabeth Schneider July 2, 2025 Duration: 52:39

Last fall, I met Francesco Galgani and tried his wines and I was completely blown away. I always think of Vernaccia as a more historical Pinot Grigio -- light on flavor, boring, and not anything to get excited about. But then I visited Cappella Sant'Andrea.

HOLY CRAP!! This is the BEST Vernaccia on earth. Francesco and Flavia, the owners and winemakers, are truly the Masters of Vernaccia di San Gimignano. You will never taste Vernaccia like this. 

 

In the show Francesco and I discuss the long history of Vernaccia, wine in San Gimignano, why there is so much crappy Vernaccia, and how they do it right. Their Rialto and Prima Luce, especially are stunning. I can't sing their praises more.

 

Two things mentioned in the show: 

  1. Follow Francesco on IG, he's a brilliant artist: @francescogalgani
  2. If you want to order directly from Francesco, and have the wine shipped from Italy, please visit their website: https://www.cappellasantandrea.it/chi-siamo1 and you can contact them for orders and pricing! 

 

 

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

 

This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Join the WFNP/Wine Access wine club and get 6 awesome bottles for just $150 four times a year. That includes shipping! When you become a member, you also get 10% all your purchases on the site. Go to wineaccess.com/normal to sign up! 

 


Elizabeth Schneider hosts Wine for Normal People, a podcast built on the idea that you can enjoy wine deeply without the pretension. It’s for anyone who finds the world of wine intriguing but is put off by the jargon and gatekeeping. Here, conversations about wine are just that-conversations. Elizabeth approaches topics with a fun and straightforward perspective, aiming to spark genuine excitement and help you discover more interesting bottles to enjoy. Roughly half of the episodes feature guests, but these aren’t formal interviews. Instead, they’re relaxed, educational discussions with passionate friends from the wine world, all people Elizabeth knows personally or through close connections. This creates a uniquely authentic and comfortable atmosphere, as if you’re listening in on a chat between friends who happen to know a lot about what’s in your glass. The focus is always on practical knowledge and shared enthusiasm, stripping away the snobbery to make wine feel accessible and endlessly fascinating. Tune into this podcast to hear honest talk about regions, grapes, and tasting, all designed to make your own journey with wine more rewarding and a lot more fun.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 93

Wine for Normal People
Podcast Episodes
Ep 585: Ten White Wines for Winter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:32
At the suggestion of Patron John D., in this show I give you a list of 10 great winter whites and review each in detail! I discuss the varied styles, since most regions have multiple versions of these wines, and how to g…
Ep 584: The Grape Miniseries Refresh - Riesling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:16
This time in the grape miniseries -- a refresh on one of my all time favorite grapes -- Riesling. This versatile grape has a long history of quality, and is highly misunderstood by most people. I review the long and nobl…
Ep 583: The Greats of Bordeaux - Graves and Pessac-Léognan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:13
Lying just south of the city of Bordeaux is one of the oldest winemaking regions in the Bordeaux AOC -- Graves. Graves, along with it sub appellation of Pessac-Leognan are covered in this show as two of the great of Bord…
Ep 582: Back to Basics –  Wine Etiquette [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:53
This time I revisit a show from long ago on Wine Etiquette. In this Back-to-Basics episode, I cover the three main places you would use etiquette - a dinner party, a restaurant, and a tasting room. I address: The Dinner…
Ep 580: The Grape Miniseries (refresh) -- Tempranillo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:30
It's been 13 years since I've done a grape miniseries on Tempranillo, so it was high time! This grape has come a long way in a decade +, proving that it has more nuance, terroir driven finesse, and versatility than it ge…
Ep 579: The Greats of Bordeaux - Moulis with Listrac [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:18
This week I finish up the communal appellations of the Médoc for our "Greats of Bordeaux" series with Moulis! Map: Wines of the Médoc Although the communes of Moulis and Listrac are often seen as one in the same because…
Ep 578: The Greats - Chianti Classico [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:09
This week I return to The Greats series in which I explore the greatest wines in the world and how they became such big deals. Photo: Vineyards in Chianti Classico. Credit: Unsplash Chianti Classico, with its 700+ years…
Ep 577: The Wines of South Africa - Refresh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:02
This week's show is on South Africa, a much more historic region than many realize, it has been making wine for more than 350 years. Although considered a 'New World' wine region, winemaking and ethos are often more orie…