The story of the wine is made by who resist.
“Wines are frank and exquisite only when they are an artisanal product:
they are precious only when they are not costly.”
(Mario Soldati)
Thoughts, key points, reflections … I start from a book by Mario Soldati.
He wrote:
“If you want to feel good in Italy you must discover it on your own, relying
on your luck and your instincts, because a great rule of Italy is precisely
this: here with us everything that has a title, a name, an advertisement, in
any case is worth much less than all that is hidden, unknown , individual.
Here, the man of value, like delicious wine, avoids advertisements:
he wants to be discovered and known in solitude, or in the
sacred company of a few friends. “
(Mario Soldati, Carema’s wine, 1955)
This represents the pivot around which my life revolves, even before starting the “Rarefratte” project: my dreams and my desires, my tastes and my habits meet, are still reflected today with the world described by Soldati in 1955. I define myself as a shy, sometimes grumpy, anarchist and rebellious person, and in fact I chose to go the opposite direction compared to the approved, conventional and exploitation roads of the world where we live. In my life I fought and defended, I fell down and I bent but I never broke, sometimes reaching goals and small achievements.
The Rarefratte winery represents all of this: I would never have been able to live in a world of wine, sick and incorrect without trying to reconstruct it. To do it, as in anything else, you must start from the opposite side. If you want to know me, you have to change your perspective. For me, wine is the final goal of a long journey that crosses seasons, good or bad years and territories. A great story that starts from the mass selection of the scions (identification of the plants where to collect the tallee) chosen to be propagated and planted. This long journey took me lots of patience, respect and acceptance of the thousands of variables that might come among the years: rain, wind, hail, diseases, slopes, drought, cold, heat, humidity etc ..
The rhythm of Nature
For me it is fundamental to respect nature, follow its rhythms, interpret them, and see that there is always something different than the previous year. As for the vineyards, the same goes for my wines: I am not a simple wine producer, but I feel like a custodian of the land and a companion in his life.
I watch, hear, and listen to understand what I can do: it is not me who decides to harvest and not even when the wine is ready to be bottled. I try to be present from the beginning, I follow every step, and it is the instinct born from the relationship with the land, the environment, the vineyard and the grapes, which tells me what to do. This for me means being an artisan, this, for me, represents My wine.
Biodiversity
The vineyard is not located in an intense area and fortunately they are surrounded by woods, olive groves and cherry trees. For me, biodiversity is very important, it is at the base of everything, it is an essential starting condition. Crop diversification enriches the land, creating a perfect balance.
The characteristics of the plant, of an insect, of an animal establish a process of continuous exchanges in nature which lead to mutual benefits; just as different cultures, customs and habits enrich our ego as humans and allow us to look further. The completeness of a farmer is all about knowing how to put work and life together according to his values.
Respect for the terroir
Agriculture is not a closed and independent ecosystem, but it is alive and represents an integral part of the habitat in its entirety, where the wild and the human being meet.
For this reason, every day I try to defend my territory, exploited and polluted. My work represents a small field stolen from those who do not respect it and consequently from those who do not respect those who come after us.