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Villa Bibbiani is a 1,300-year-old Tuscan estate near Florence, originally built by the Frescobaldi family in the 16th century.

It gained widespread attention when RHOBH cast member Bozoma Saint John used the estate for the cast's Season 15 Tuscany trip — and later returned with her fiancé Keely Watson to blend a custom cuvée for their 2026 weddings. Big Hammer Wines directly imports Villa Bibbiani's wines.

Key Takeaways

• Villa Bibbiani sits on the southern slopes of Montalbano hill near Florence — a working 1,000-acre estate with vineyards, olive groves, and a consecrated private chapel.
• The estate was first recorded in 767 AD; the villa itself was built by the Frescobaldi family in the 1500s and restored to five-star standard in 2018.
• Bozoma Saint John and fiancé Keely Watson blended a custom wedding cuvée with estate winemaker Leopoldo Morara — a gift from their friend Dr. George Rapier.
• That wine will be served at both of Boz's 2026 weddings: a traditional Ghanaian ceremony in Accra and an American celebration in Beverly Hills.
• Big Hammer Wines directly imports Villa Bibbiani — if you want to drink what she's drinking, you're in the right place.

The Story: A Wedding Gift Made From Barrel Samples

Most engagement gifts end up in a closet. What Dr. George Rapier gave Bozoma Saint John and Keely Watson will be poured at two weddings on two continents.

The gift: a private blending session at Villa Bibbiani, the historic Tuscan estate that hosted the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast on their Season 15 girls' trip. Boz organized that trip. And when she saw what the estate could do — the vineyards, the ancient cellar, the gravity-fed winemaking — she came back with her future husband.

Sitting across a blending table with winemaker Leopoldo Morara, the couple worked through barrel samples and ratios until they had something that was theirs. That wine — a custom cuvée they built themselves — will be on the table in Accra, Ghana, and again in Beverly Hills, later this year.

"The wine at Villa Bibbiani isn't treated like a product," Boz said. "It's treated like culture."

You can’t fake a line like that.

What Is Villa Bibbiani?

Villa Bibbiani is not a boutique winery that opened after a remodel. It has been a going concern since 767 AD.

The estate sits in the Montalbano hills between the towns of Capraia and Limite, west of Florence in the Arno Valley. It covers roughly 1,000 acres: vineyards, olive groves, botanical gardens, and forest, with about 30 hectares planted to vine.

The villa itself was built by the Frescobaldi family in the 1500s. If you know anything about Tuscan wine history, the Frescobaldi name carries enormous weight — one of the oldest winemaking dynasties in Italy. The estate stayed in that orbit until the 1800s, when Marquis Cosimo Ridolfi — known as the father of modern Italian agriculture — married into the family and transformed it into an agricultural powerhouse. The botanical gardens he planted still contain more than 3,000 species.

An American owner acquired the property in 2016 and poured significant investment into restoring the estate to its original standard, bringing in a new generation of winemaking talent. In 2018, winemaker Leopoldo Morara took over — a global technician with experience in France, Chile, and New Zealand — who describes his approach simply: "The key to making a good wine is maximum respect for the terroir."

The Wines: What Villa Bibbiani Actually Makes

The estate's vineyards run from the Arno Valley floor up to 820 feet in elevation. That range of altitude and soil composition — sandstone, schist, clay — gives each of the three flagship wines a distinct personality, even when they're pulling from the same two grapes.

Bibbiani's philosophy is described as "traditionally innovative." The cellar uses gravity-fed transfer (no pumping, no mechanical stress on the fruit), fermentation in temperature-controlled tanks, and aging in a combination of French and Slavonian oak barrels plus terracotta and Cocciopesto amphorae, a nod to Roman winemaking tradition that predates the estate itself.

Gambero Rosso called Villa Bibbiani "much more than a winery, much more than an estate." That's not press kit language — it's the honest read on a place where the winery is almost a secondary activity.

The RHOBH Season 15 Tuscany Trip

Bozoma Saint John organized the Season 15 girls' trip, and she chose Villa Bibbiani as the destination. The full cast — Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne, Sutton Stracke, Dorit Kemsley, Rachel Zoe, Amanda Frances, Jennifer Tilly, Kathy Hilton, and Natalie Swanston Fuller — descended on the estate for what Boz described as a trip where "too many shenanigans happened."

The women stomped grapes, did private wine tastings, received massages, and lingered over long Italian lunches. In Boz's own words: "One moment we were stomping grapes and tasting incredible wines, the next we were getting massages or lingering over long Italian meals. Between the indoor and outdoor pools and the rolling vineyards around us, every hour felt like its own little luxury escape."

The trip aired in March 2026. The engagement — Keely Watson's proposal to Boz — was the Season 15 finale.

The follow-up: Boz and Keely's private blending session, gifted by Dr. George Rapier, took the RHOBH audience connection one step deeper.

You can explore the Villa Bibbiani winery page at Big Hammer Wines for full estate details and the wines we carry.

What Is a Private Wine Blending Experience?

A blending session — also called assemblage — is one of the most intimate things you can do at a winery. Instead of tasting finished wines, you work with component barrel samples: this percentage of Sangiovese, that percentage of Cabernet, aged in this kind of oak versus that one.

The winemaker walks you through how each component behaves — the structure the Cabernet adds, the freshness the Sangiovese contributes, what the amphorae do to the mid-palate. You adjust ratios. You decide. The wine that ends up in the bottle is yours in a way that no label purchase ever is.

When Boz and Keely did this with Leopoldo Morara, they weren't choosing between products. They were co-creating something that would sit on the table between them at two of the most important days of their lives. It's the difference between buying wine and making something.

How to Experience Villa Bibbiani's Wines (A Simple Framework)

• Start with the Treggiaia Rosso Toscano if you want the estate's blending philosophy in one glass — the 50/50 Sangiovese-Cabernet tells you exactly what makes Bibbiani's terroir distinctive.
• Go to the Montereggi if you want power and structure — 100% Cabernet from 50-year-old vines on the Pulignano hill, the single most intense wine the estate makes.
• The Chianti Montalbano is the estate's everyday expression — approachable, structured, deeply Tuscan. Pair it with pasta al ragù or a board of Tuscan cheeses and cured meats.
• BHW directly imports all three — the winery page and the Italian wines collection are the fastest ways to see current availability.

Wine Terms: A Short Glossary

Assemblage — The blending of component wines or barrel samples into a final cuvée. Common in Bordeaux and increasingly used in Tuscany to create complexity.

Chianti Montalbano DOCG — One of Chianti's seven DOCG subzones, located in the hills west of Florence and south of Pistoia. Known for fresh, approachable wines with good acidity and structure.

Cuvée — A specific blend or batch of wine, often used to describe a wine assembled from multiple grape varieties, vineyards, or vintages.

Rosso Toscano IGT — The Indicazione Geografica Tipica designation used for Tuscan wines that fall outside DOC/DOCG rules, often because they include non-traditional varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon. This category covers most Super Tuscans.

Super Tuscan — An informal term for high-quality Tuscan wines that blend indigenous grapes (typically Sangiovese) with international varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot). Bibbiani's Treggiaia is a classic example.

Gravity-fed winemaking — A cellar design where grapes and wine move by gravity rather than pumps, minimizing mechanical stress on the fruit and preserving delicate aromatics and texture.

Terracotta amphora aging — A winemaking vessel borrowed from ancient Roman practice. Provides gentle micro-oxygenation while preserving a wine's natural character — no vanilla or toast from oak influence.

FAQs

1. What is Villa Bibbiani?

Villa Bibbiani is a historic Tuscan wine estate near Florence with origins dating to 767 AD. The 16th-century villa was built by the Frescobaldi family and sits on roughly 1,000 acres of vineyards, olive groves, and gardens in the Montalbano hills. Today it operates as a five-star private estate, winery, and event venue.

2. Where is Villa Bibbiani located?

The estate is located in the Montalbano hills between the towns of Capraia and Limite, west of Florence in the Arno Valley, Tuscany, Italy. Vineyards run from the Arno Valley plain up to 250 meters (820 feet) above sea level.

3. Why was Villa Bibbiani on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?

Bozoma Saint John organized the Season 15 RHOBH cast trip to Villa Bibbiani in Tuscany. The full cast visited the estate for wine tastings, grape stomping, and relaxation. Boz subsequently returned with her fiancé Keely Watson for a private wine blending session, gifted by their friend Dr. George Rapier as a wedding present.

4. What wine did Bozoma Saint John blend at Villa Bibbiani?

Bozoma Saint John and Keely Watson worked with estate winemaker Leopoldo Morara to blend a custom cuvée at Villa Bibbiani. The wine they created will be served at both of their 2026 weddings — a traditional Ghanaian ceremony in Accra, Ghana, and an American wedding in Beverly Hills.

5. What wines does Villa Bibbiani produce?

The estate produces three flagship wines: Chianti Montalbano DOCG (100% Sangiovese), Treggiaia Rosso Toscano (50% Sangiovese / 50% Cabernet Sauvignon), and Montereggi Rosso Toscano (100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 50-year-old vines). All use a gravity-fed winemaking process and age in a combination of French and Slavonian oak barrels and terracotta amphorae.

6. Who is the winemaker at Villa Bibbiani?

Leopoldo Morara has served as Villa Bibbiani's winemaker since 2018. He trained at estates in France, Chile, and New Zealand before joining Bibbiani. His philosophy centers on maximum respect for terroir, minimal mechanical intervention, and gravity-fed cellar practices.

7. Can you visit Villa Bibbiani?

Villa Bibbiani operates as a luxury private estate rental offering accommodation, private chef services, wine tastings, blending sessions, truffle hunting, and other curated experiences. Wedding packages are also available. Visit Villa Bibbiani's website for inquiries.

8. Where can I buy Villa Bibbiani wines in the United States?

Big Hammer Wines is the exclusive U.S. direct importer of Villa Bibbiani. You can browse the current lineup of available wines at bighammerwines.com.

9. What is a Chianti Montalbano wine?

Chianti Montalbano is one of the seven official DOCG subzones within the broader Chianti designation. Located in the hills of the province of Prato, west of Florence, these wines are produced primarily from Sangiovese and are known for their freshness, balance, and approachable structure.

10. What is a Super Tuscan wine?

A Super Tuscan is a high-quality Tuscan wine that blends native grapes — typically Sangiovese — with international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Because they fall outside traditional DOCG rules, they're classified as IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica). Villa Bibbiani's Treggiaia is a textbook example of the style.

11. What does it mean to blend your own wine?

A private wine blending session — called assemblage — involves working directly with a winemaker to combine barrel samples at different ratios. Participants taste components separately and adjust percentages until a final blend reflects their preferences. The finished wine is unique and can be bottled under a custom label.

Explore Villa Bibbiani Wines at Big Hammer Wines

You may not be on the guest list in Accra or Beverly Hills. But you can pour the same estate into your glass tonight.

Browse the current Villa Bibbiani lineup at Big Hammer Wines — Italy collection. As the estate's exclusive U.S. direct importer, we carry what's available and nothing else.