The vineyard came before the house. In 2010, before we’d even begun renovating the farmhouse, we planted our first hectare of vines. It was meant to be a garden vineyard—the Instagram-perfect backdrop for aperitivi with friends.
A decade later, our view of the vineyard has changed entirely.
The Grapes
We’ve chosen to focus on indigenous varieties of the Lamone Valley:
Sangiovese — Five clones typical of Brisighella, planted in a mosaic of characteristics to produce our 52 Fuochi. Sangiovese is the backbone of Italian viticulture, the grape behind Brunello, Chianti, Vino Nobile. Here in Romagna—the only place where Sangiovese is simply called Sangiovese—it can make wines just as great, though the large cooperatives sometimes overshadow the small producers doing extraordinary work.
Trebbiano Romagnolo — The base for our Bessagalena and the unexpected starting point for our Vermouth.
Albana — A fantastic grape when you get the harvest timing and maceration just right. We work it three ways: in steel (Bessagalena blend), in qvevri (Pirona), and in barrique (Alveda).
Chenin Blanc — A few rows ended up in the shadier spots near the river. Just to be unconventional within the conventions of local grape selection.
From Order to Biodiversity
The first years were all about chasing order: mowing the grass as soon as it reached 20 centimeters, cultivating between the rows, tilling at the end of the season to “aerate” the soil.
Now we add instead of taking away.
The wild herbs grow freely. With their contribution of life, pollinating insects, and biodiversity, they make the soil softer and help water penetrate deeply. We cut the cover crop with a sickle bar mower; the stems remain on the ground, protecting it and gradually adding organic matter.
One summer, looking for any excuse not to use the brush cutter, Marco started cataloging the wild plants growing in the vineyard and around the house:
Artemisia, chamomile, mint, melissa, rosemary, sage, savory… gramigna, amaranth, plantain, nettle, coriander…
That list became the botanical recipe for our Vermouth.
Composting
The pruned shoots from winter are shredded and combined with the stems, seeds, skins, and lees from winemaking. The resulting compost goes back to the vineyard and the vegetable garden—a closed loop.