Category: Winemaking
Adapting to Uncertainty: Italian Winemakers Respond to Climate Variability in 2023
October 1, 2023
The weather conditions in Italy, as well as worldwide, have been quite challenging in 2023. There have been instances of rain, floods, hailstorms, heatwaves, wildfires, and more. All of these have had adverse effects on this year's vegetative cycle, leading to various diseases and a loss of production. This year's harvest has been a sad one for some, while quite acceptable for others. It's worth noting that there are differences between the northern and southern parts of Italy in terms of the harvest. According to the Observatory of Assoenologi, Ismea, and Unione Italiana Vini, the overall loss of quantity compared… read more
The Harvest of 2022 Has Exceeded the Expectations Despite Climate Adversity
October 6, 2022
The harvest of 2022 has been named a vintage beyond expectations by the Italian producers themselves. The reports from Alto Adige in the north to Sicily in the south all say the same things, i.e. that the climate crisis has not affected the quality of the grapes too much. However, we are now in an era where we have to get used to extreme weather conditions and learn how to navigate them. At Fattoria di Montemaggio, the harvest is still going on and we are going to look closer at the conditions and results so far. We will also make… read more
Top Wine Vintages in Chianti Classico in Tuscany
October 8, 2021
Wine is all about vintages, that is that every vintage differs from the next and gives rise to unique wines. When we say that every vintage is different, we more specifically refer to the weather conditions during the vines' vegetative year. This influences a wine’s aromas, flavors, and quality which is referred to as “vintage variation”. The weather also has a considerable impact on the harvest and the yield. There are some vintages that turn out much better than others and result in compelling and sensational wines. We will look into some vintages that Ilaria, our Estate Manager, considers to… read more
How Regenerative Agriculture is the New Buzz Term in Viticulture
March 31, 2021
We have been talking about conventional, organic, and biodynamic viticulture and winemaking in the past, but what about regenerative agriculture? The new trend emerging in viticulture seems to be talking precisely about regenerative agriculture. In the Italian wine world, it is a concept or ‘buzzword’ that is not that much mentioned yet. So, what is regenerative agriculture? We will soon delve deeper into that but first, we will do a quick historical overview. Agriculture and its Effect on the Soil in a Historical Context Historically, there is nothing new about how to get the most out of the soil in… read more
How Should We Age the Wine? Aging Red Wines
March 3, 2021
Aging Wine Making Wine also means learning to have patience. Understanding that a good wine is produced by respecting the right time and the right aging. It is necessary then, to wait for the wine to reach the best moment of its life. Let's analyze what is the aging of red wines. The nectar of gods will therefore find the perfect environment for aging and getting richer. Let's talk about what is called "elevation". This term is simply used to explain what is the aging in the barrels. What happens during this kind of aging? Simply, we will observe some… read more
Vine Life Cycle
February 17, 2021
One aspect that is of vital importance to both winegrowers and wine lovers is knowing the phases of the vineyard, also known as the phenological phases of the vine. In other words, the vineyard goes through different phases during the annual cycle. Obviously, different viticulturally techniques will be applied for each phenological phase. Let's discuss the Vine Life Cycle It is important to be careful and to understand that for every action there is a consequence. In the following, we will briefly try to analyze a whole year's cultivation of life. The 3 different life cycles It is therefore important to… read more
The Family of Sparkling wine
February 10, 2021
Sparkling Wines & Winemaking Sparkling wines or vino spumante are getting more and more attention such as Prosecco, Franciacorta, Trento doc, Champagne, and so on and so forth. Wine lovers from all over the world seem to have a sort of special attention for sparkling wines and it is also true that especially novices have difficulty in understanding the vast and complicated world of sparkling wines. Defining sparkling wines Sparkling wines are defined as those kinds of wine in which there is a quantity of dissolved carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide generates an internal pressure inside the bottle of 3.5… read more
Chianti Classico Sangiovese: When a wine becomes the maximum expression of the territory
November 20, 2020
Origins of wine If there is one thing that anyone can notice, from an expert to a beginner, it is that when we are tasting a great wine we understand it from the fact that the wine itself will give us a definite and real idea of which land it comes from. It will tell us its own story, in a direct and clear, but above all, involving way. There is a term, that the French invented, that probably someone will already know: we are talking about the word Terrior. This terminology is used to explain the relationship that binds a… read more
The Quality of the Harvest 2020 Gives Hope
November 6, 2020
Wine Harvest & Hope Harvest this year (2020) has been a small ray of sunshine in an otherwise fairly dark and gloomy year. This, in the sense that the quality seems to have been very good, if not excellent, from the north to the south in Italy. Covid has had its grip over Italy and the entire world for most of this year. Due to lockdown in the spring, many sales channels dried up and wineries found themselves with the cellars full of stock. New sales channels had to be explored fairly quickly, e-commerce (buying wine online) and digital marketing… read more
Something Old and Something New, and It's Orange Wine
September 27, 2020
Why is it called orange wine and what does it mean Orange wine has been rising steadily in popularity during the last several years. It might still be considered by some as a trend only but for most wine lovers it is a winemaking method that has returned to stay. Why is it called orange wine and what does it mean? Does it have anything to do with Holland and their national color? Perhaps it is the Dutch national wine? Does it have anything to do with oranges? Is it a fruit wine? Well, it is a clear NO to… read more