Sting grows olives, vegetables and produces wine at his 900-acre Tuscany estate. British singer reveals how he was tricked into buying the Italian property

British singer Sting and his wife, film producer Trudie Styler, have turned their historic Tuscan estate into a thriving working farm producing wine, olive oil, honey, vegetables and other products. Known for his decades-long music career as the frontman of The Police and as a solo artist, Sting has also developed a deep connection with agriculture through Il Palagio, his estate near Figline Valdarno in Italy.

The couple bought the 16th-century property in 1999. Today, the estate covers around 900 acres and includes vineyards, olive groves, gardens and farmland. Its agricultural activities have become an important part of life at the property.

Sting revived Il Palagio's centuries-old wine tradition

Il Palagio has a long history of winemaking, with records tracing wine production at the estate back to the mid-1500s. Sting and Styler continued that tradition by replanting 15 hectares of vineyards and adopting organic farming methods.


According to the estate's official website, Il Palagio now produces organic wines as well as cold-pressed olive oil, honey, seasonal vegetables and handmade preserves. The products are made from ingredients grown on the estate and are sold through its farm shop.

The estate's journey into modern winemaking, however, began with an unusual experience for Sting.

The singer has previously explained how the former aristocratic owner of Il Palagio helped persuade him to purchase the vineyards.

According to The Drinks Business, Sting was persuaded to buy the vineyards at Il Palagio after the estate’s former aristocratic owner served him a glass of Barolo and presented it as wine produced on the property. Sting had been looking for a home in Italy and was attracted to the Tuscan estate despite its rundown condition.

The quality of the wine he tasted helped convince him to purchase the vineyards as well, but he later discovered that the wine had come from elsewhere and was not made at Il Palagio.

Sting realised something was wrong when he served the estate’s own wine to friends and noticed one guest discreetly pouring it into a flowerbed.

Speaking about the incident to Sette magazine, the singer said the deception ultimately motivated him and Trudie Styler to improve the struggling vineyards and prove that Il Palagio could make excellent wine. Sting described the transformation as a form of “revenge”, turning what began as a costly deception into a long-term effort to restore the estate’s winemaking reputation.

A disappointing wine became Sting's motivation

The discovery could have put an end to Sting's plans for the vineyards, but it had the opposite effect.

After serving the estate's actual wine to friends and family, Sting noticed that some guests were leaving it unfinished. He realised that the wine needed considerable improvement and decided to take on the challenge of transforming the winery.

Sting has described the experience as a form of motivation. Rather than giving up on the vineyards, he wanted to prove that Il Palagio could produce high-quality wine. He later characterised the decision as a way of getting back at the person who had deceived him.

The effort eventually began to pay off. In 2009, reports said Sting was preparing to sell wine commercially from the estate, with around 30,000 bottles expected to go on sale that September.

In 2016, the wine was recognised among Italy's 100 best wines, marking a major turnaround from the disappointing wine Sting encountered when he first bought the property.

From vineyards to vegetables, Il Palagio is now a working farm

Wine is only one part of the agricultural operation at Il Palagio. The estate also produces olive oil and honey, while seasonal vegetables and preserves are among its other products.

The couple's approach has been to preserve the property's connection to the land while making it a productive modern farm. Its vineyards are managed using organic methods, while its olive groves and other agricultural areas contribute to the range of products sold under the Il Palagio name.

The estate also has a farm shop and a pizzeria. Different parts of the operation are managed by dedicated teams, allowing the property to function as more than just a private celebrity residence.

For Sting and Styler, Il Palagio represents a return to a slower, more traditional way of life. Styler has previously spoken about her family connection to farming and described the opportunity to return to agriculture as a privilege.