The area around Montalcino has made wine for centuries. The early red, called vermiglio, played a role in the siege of 1553, when the garrison commander, pale with tension and hunger, rubbed it into his cheeks, simulating a healthy complexion to reassure his troops and discourage his enemies. In the 16th C, the English kings Charles II and William III favored a wine called "Mont Alchin." A breakthrough came in the late 18th C when attention was focused on the Brunello grape (actually Sangioveto Grosso, a clone of Chianti's Sangiovese). This superior grape variety, carefully handled, yielded superior wine, but news spread slowly because Italy's reputation in the wine world was held down by overproduction and lack of regulation. Luckily this has changed over the last 50 years and now the most famous wine in Tuscany is the Brunello de Montalcino.