he Candia dei Colli Apuani production zone extends over the slopes of the hills of the territory of Massa and Carrara. Viticultural has been practiced in the district since the earliest times and agriculture in general has always represented an impotant economic resource for the community.The Bulletin of the Agricultural Commission of Massa, published in 1874, observes that "the cultivation of vines has flourished in our commune since ancient times." In addition, Repetti, in describing the products of the Massa hills in his Dizionario, published in 1832, refers to "the vines set out on terraces" and, in discussing Carrara, reports that "olives and vines flourish in the area and constitute the territory's major agricultural resource."
The origins of the Candia dei Colli Apuani, which was highly appreciated by Paolo Ferrari, a political leader of the Duchy of Modena, to which Massa once belonged, and poet Giovanni Pascoli, who taught at the city's classical high school, are extremely ancient. The 1874 Bulletin published the first information concerning the wine's vinification and the varieties used in making it. From that report, it is clear that the largest percentage was supplied by the Vermentino variety.
The Candia denomination began to be applied to the area's wine about a century ago. The name was that of a small area on the slopes of Monte Oliviero, which was anciently described as a "free" zone.
