The spring sun illuminates the Val di Chiana, in the heart of Tuscany. The swallows have already returned to bring with their songs the echo of the summer. The air already smells of summer in the Vestri farm in Marciano della Chiana, in the province of Arezzo. Here the activities that the campaign requires continue, each according to its seasonality.
The wheat grows green along the ancient valley that welcomes it in the midst of wild flowers and herbs. The olive trees abandon themselves to the flow of the wind, the stiff vines are the diligent guardians of the valley.
The vines of the Vestri farm have imprinted a hundred-year history in each node. The first vines date back to the early twentieth century, when they were planted on the property thanks to the work of my grandmother. My father and now I, in an ideal relay race, have always followed the same path, with love, patience and respect.
The rows of vines define the landscape of the family farm, among fruit trees and spontaneous plants. If you look closely at them you can understand the philosophy that reigns among the fields. Here we practice natural agriculture that is done in harmony with nature, characterized by few or even no intervention, respectful of the seasons, of the earth and of every little seed. We do not use fertilizers or other chemical aids, because we know that nature has everything it needs within itself.
How we make our wines
On our farm we follow a natural approach, both in the fields and in the cellar. Wine, like all good things, needs time. The one that every year makes new flowers sprout and the tasty berries sprout; the one that ripens the fruits with the sun and the rain. But also the time of hand harvesting, which allows you to appreciate every single bunch; the spontaneous fermentation time that transforms the grape sugar into alcohol thanks to the action of naturally present microorganisms. These microorganisms are the most authentic expression of the area where the grapes grow and from which the flavor, aroma and soul of our wines derive. A sort of unique imprint that exists only in our wines and that can be rediscovered with every sip.
Arioso is the name of the white wine that recalls the open plain full of light where the vines have found nourishment to grow, thanks to the care of man.
Virtuoso is red wine, from the Latin virtus, to indicate that this wine has the virtue of being a pure expression of our way of understanding the harmonious relationship with nature, without shortcuts, adjustments or artifices.
Drinking our wines – or eating the wholemeal pasta that we produce with ancient grains, is a way to embrace our ethical choice of living in communion with nature, aware that attention to the environment in which we live is the only way towards a sustainable future.
In line with what was expressed by Vandana Shiva, president of Navdanya International, an international association that wants to raise awareness on the importance of poison-free nutrition and agriculture, on the occasion of his tour in some Italian cities last April:
“… We are immersed in a non-human development system that steals from nature and men and is responsible for ecocide and genocide. But the health of the Earth and the health of the People are one. The alternatives exist and are based on the regeneration of soils through agroecology, the protection of biodiversity, the promotion of the short supply chain and of food systems at km 0. Each of us can reverse the current disastrous trend with our own little big daily choices. : we can change the world with every bite, every dress, every trip, every purchase. We need to take back the right to conserve seeds and biodiversity. The right to nutrition and healthy food. The right to protect the earth and its various species… ”.
