Traditional in Tuscany, these wines are often made from white grape varieties such as Trebbiano and Malvasia, although Sangiovese may be used to produce a rosé style known as "Occhio di Pernice" or eye of the partridge.

Over the next few centuries, this wine became known as Vin Santo and was widely exported to Russia, where it was used in the Eucharist by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Another oft-cited theory for the name association is the tradition of starting fermentation around All Saints' Day and bottling the wine during Easter week.

[8] After the grapes destined for Vin Santo are harvested in September or October, they are laid out on straw mats, often under rafters or staircases.

Depending on the style of wine desired, the grapes may be crushed and the fermentation process started after a few weeks or not till late March.

Producers may use a starter culture of yeast known as a madre that includes a small amount of finished Vin Santo from previous years production.

As a fall back, if their wines become too oxidised or do not develop the way the producer wishes, some Vin Santo may be intentionally converted into vinegar that is very desirable in the culinary market.

[3] The styles, colour, sweetness and quality of Vin Santo can vary widely depending on the grape varieties and production methods used to make the wine.

When red grape varieties are used, the wine is often labelled as Occhio di Pernice, which has its own DOC classification in several regions of Italy.

The flavours typical of Vin Santo often include nutty or raisin notes with honey and cream attributes.

In the autonomous province of Trento, a dried straw wine made from the Nosiola grape is popularly labelled as Vino Santo.

[1] Partial list of Tuscan DOC regions that are permitted to produce a Vin Santo style wine.

The Occhio di Pernice style must have a minimum alcohol level of 17% and is composed of 50–100% Sangiovese with other local white or red grape varieties permitted to make up to 50% of the remaining amount.

There are three distinct styles of Vin Santo that can be produced under the Colli dell'Etruria Centrale DOC label-Occhio di Pernice, Abboccato and Amabile (also known as Secco).

Both the Amabile and Abboccato wines must be composed of at least a 70% blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia with local grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 30%.