Whale fossils found in vineyards

Castello Banfi vineyard, where the skeleton was found, is the place to produce the famous Brunello de Montalcino, one of Italy's most valuable wines. The whale skeleton was discovered by a fossil hunter, who was granted a special license to enter the vineyards.

Rich land

This whale fossil is probably a complete set, and last month paleontologists from the University of Florence dug the terrain very carefully to excavate each piece. Millions of years ago, the Tuscany region flooded sinking in the water and the Castello Banfi area is the seabed.

The vineyard owner, Cristinad Mariani, is happy about this. She said, 'This reminds us that the rich land here is due to the nutrients and minerals accumulated from millions of years ago. This is a special kind of soil that makes our wine taste delicious. '

So if you're lucky enough to taste Brunello wine, enjoy it in special moments, remember that there is a big whale underneath the vineyards.

Whale fossils estimated at 5 million years old are found at one
Castello Banfi vineyard (Photo: Nationalgeographic)