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Houses and wines:
quality products, expression of the places where they are made
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Vito Planeta:
the ability to imagine everyday a new way to give value to the land
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"The cure of the landscape and the environment that goes beyond sustainability."
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VITO PLANETA
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For five centuries our family has been involved with the course of agricultural evolution in the complex land of Sicily, with an approach always inclined to openness and innovation. Where too often the agricultural world has been confined to ancient ideas of social tradition and production processes, instead we have inherited, from each generation, an instinct to change and to generate positive changes around us, both with people and in the culture. During the 1900’s it was Grandfather Vito who showed us how, rather than in static management of the land, we must all move towards new solutions and new prospects.
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In the meantime we have grown. Around the old fortress of Ulmo, where for five centuries we have cultivated our oldest land, a spark was fostered to transfer this experience and all our new ideas in the project of a new company; here, in 1985, we planted our first vineyard. Two different generations – brothers and sisters, children, nieces and nephews – work together since then, with the perfect understanding that derives not only from harmony of character and complementing of abilities, but above all from the unity of vision; love for this land, the desire to protect it and the capacity to imagine every day a new way to appreciate it.
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“The harvest in Sicily has a duration that is unmatched in any region in the world. About a hundred days between summer and autumn. This testifies to the enormous biodiversity present on the island - there are about a hundred native varieties and to these are added a few dozen non-native varieties that have become part of the Sicilian ampelographic heritage - to which is added the very wide climatic spectrum that characterizes Sicily.
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These two factors, climate and biodiversity, combined with the millennial presence of the vine, which has given life to an enormous heritage of culture and tradition linked to wine, mean that Sicily should not be considered a wine region, but a real continent [...]"
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Vito leads us to the discovery of the values and philosophy of Planeta Vini
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AN ART WHICH HAS CONTINUED FOR MORE THAN 500 YEARS
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VILLA VITALBA LURANI CERNUSCHI, Lombardy
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The beautiful Convent of Saint Nicola, surrounded by vineyards, is a complex which includes the Church of San Nicola, the cloister and the Lurani Cernuschi cellar.
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The Lurani Cernuschi Cellar is established inside the ex-Convent of S. Maria della Consolazione (called of S. Nicola), built at the end of the 15th century and inhabited by the Augustinian friars until the end of the 18th century. Since the times of the friars, vines were cultivated at the foot of the bell tower, in the “Porta” district, in the locality called “Umbriana”. When the friars were forced to leave the convent, the property passed to the noble Paolo Vitalba and, for subsequent inheritance, to the Count Emanuele Lurani Cernuschi, from the beginning of the 20th century.
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Around the 1960s Giampiero Lurani Cernuschi, son of Emanuele, began the to convert the land from mixed cultivation into specialized cultivation of vineyards only, suitable for the production of different wines to be sold in bottles.
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Since 1985 Giovanni De Ferrari, nephew of Giampiero, continues to produce wines with respect for tradition, while making use of more modern and respectful techniques for the territory.
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There are 11 hectares of vineyards, neatly arranged at the foot of the bell tower of the monastery which houses the cellars, and which is the real business center. The work made during the whole year, in the vines and in the cellar, is aimed to the research of quality: the spacing of plantations of the new vineyards are closer, to guarantee a lower quantity of grapes per plant; treatment times are dictated by a meteorological control unit, to avoid excesses and to guarantee the perfect health of the grapes at the time of harvest, which is done by hand; winter vine-pruning leave a small load of buds per plant and the summer ones are aimed at ensuring a perfect insolation of the bunches.
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The cellar is furnished with equipment that allows a regular fermentation at a controlled temperature, a correct maturation of the wines, a bottling in hygienically perfect conditions and an adequate conservation of the bottles. All this in a structure rich in history, in full respect of traditional methods. A visit to the company and its cellars, conducted by Giovanni De Ferrari who deals with the vinification, bottling and distribution of his wines, will allow you to better appreciate a peace and tranquility that is increasingly difficult to find today in Lombardy.
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To learn more about the wines of Cantina Lurani Cernuschi and buy them online
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ORGANIC WINES AND UMBRIAN GRAPES
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Podere Marella is one of the first Italian wineries who observed the requirements of organic agriculture. Located in the midst of mature oak woodland and surrounded by vineyards, olive trees and reed beds, the estate produces white and red Umbria IGT and Hills of the Trasimeno DOC wines. The cultivation criteria are strictly organic and the respect for the local fauna and the spontaneous vegetation have allowed to maintain almost unchanged one of the most beautiful naturalistic oases of the region.
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Cosimo Biasich, owner of Podere Marella, tells us about his company:
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“My mother Fiammetta Inga, since when she was young, had cultivated her love and passion for the land taking care of a big farm nearby the Tortona hills, inherited from her grandfather. In 1974 she moved in Umbria where, alongside the cultivation of cereals and tobacco, she started the production of quality wines. Employing experienced and passionate collaborators, they immediately adopted the principles of organic farming that allowed them to obtain, among the first in Italy, organic certifications.
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She soon became a point of reference among wine producers if the Trasimeno region, contributing to improving the quality and image of the wines in the area.
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At the beginning of the 1980s, she started to open her house to guests, adopting the formula of the agritourism.
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Today Podere Marella mainly cultivates the Sangiovese and Grechetto vines, typical of the Umbrian area, but there is space for “minor” and less known vines as well, including the Trebbiano Spoletino, of which I am very proud because it represents in an excellent way the value of the territory and it is a rare and still not widespread vine which nevertheless has excellent potential.
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Since 2008, I have been in charge of the business. My goal is to continue the quality path already undertaken by my mother, placing research and excellence as a priority of my work.
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The yield (about 50 quintals per hectare) is deliberately contained and the bunches’ quality is rigorously selected during the harvest, which is carried out by hand in small crates. The vinification takes place in a traditional way in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature with daily pumping over. The maceration lasts on average 8-10 days with hot extraction towards the end of fermentation."
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For more information on the products and services offered by Podere Marella
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VITICULTURE SINCE THE ROMAN ERA
CASTELLO DI RONCADE, Veneto
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In 1930 Baron Tito Ciani Bassetti chose Castello di Roncade as the new residence for his family and the place where he could follow one of his dreams: to make wine in an area that had been part of the Serenissima, and since the Roman age most suitable for winegrowing. The Winery today is guided by Vincenzo Ciani Bassetti and his son Claudio Ciani Bassetti who continue to enhance both the vineyard and cellar at the same time.
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One hundred and ten hectares of vineyards, with a terroir characterised by low precipitation and a layer of consolidated clay and silt just a few centimetres beneath the soil surface, locally known as “caranto”, where they produce some great quality wines. Aroma driven whites and full bodied reds have been able to stand out and have been awarded important prizes in top wine guides and competitions.
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To respond with punctuality to the requests of their wines, renowned and appreciated in many parts of the world, in the last few years the production has been transferred in a more modern cellar in Mogliano Veneto, not far away from their vines. The new winery is equipped with cutting edge technology to carefully control every step of winemaking, while the barrels for aging continue to be kept inside the castle.
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The aging cellar, the Villa and the Brolo (the vineyard) can be visited with guided tours and tastings, that are organized each week. A suggestive experience which allows to explore the ancient rooms, discover the century-old history of which the Castle of Roncade is witness, savoring the wines that are there produced, in a warm and welcoming environment.
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Are you interested in the wines and tastings of Castello di Roncade?
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VINSANTO AND RESPECT OF THE TERRITORY
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VILLA GUARDATOIA , Tuscany
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The Cecchi de’Rossi siblings, owners of Villa Guardatoia, love to preserve and share this place full of history and tradition to pass down the value of rooting on the territory, also through agricultural and agri-tourism activities. For this reason, in 1987, on the land already managed by the family since the first half of the 17th century, they founded Anzienda Agricola Marzalla.
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The quality of their local production of Vinsanto Doc Tre Chiodi, white and red wine, as well as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, grappa and wildflower honey is the result of the specific organoleptic characteristics of the soil and the loving professionalism and experience gained over the years by the Cecchi family.
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Their philosophy is based on the belief that the quality of the products cannot be separated from a strong sense of responsibility and respect towards the environment that surrounds us.
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To reach this goal, since 1998 the Marzalla Farm adopted an Integrated Pest Management Programme for the agronomic management of tree crops. In this way they can minimize the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides (copper and sulfur only), burying vegetation residues instead. Moreover, they use natural fertilizers, crop rotation, periodically promoting the repopulation of bird species, useful insects and natural predators in uncultivated land.
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To know the activity of Azienda Agricola Marzalla
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THE NOBLE WHITE WINES OF TERRE DEL SILLABO
VILLA TOTTI, Tuscany
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A company conducted with a philosophy oriented to the making of high-quality wines, which are able to perfectly express the features of the territory they belong to.
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Villa Totti’s wines are produced by Terre del Sillabo of Giampi and Clara Moretti Winery, which has the exclusive cultivation and vinification of the grapes from the Villa Totti vineyard in Mutigliano (LU).
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Giampi Moretti and his team have never considered white wines good just when young, for summer’s aperitifs only: they search complexity and richness in them, as in an important red wine. Because of this they perform long refinements and sell only when a wine seems to have reached a right level of maturation, regardless of the harvest in which it was born: thus, the 2012 and 2016 that they here offer are the wines currently on the market.
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Giampi Moretti’s Winery is located in Valfreddana, the northwestern summit of the province of Lucca, ancient connector area between Lucchesia and Versilia. They are small agricultural producers, making on average 15.000 bottles each year and they do not buy neither grape nor wine, not even in the most unfavorable harvests. What they produce is made there and there only.
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They harvest from 30 years old vines and the first vintage bottled in 1993. Although they produce a red wine, today unfortunately out of stock, they offer two of their whites by now “classics”: the Costa Toscana Sauvignon and the "Spante" Costa Toscana Chardonnay.
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Learn more about their wines, and find a special discount fo Le Dimore del Quartetto’s friends
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OCTOBER 31ST 2021: HISTORY OF A CANTEEN
EVENT AT CASA LAJOLO, Piedmont
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Sunday, October 31st is the last opening to the public of Casa Lajolo for 2021.
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The activities and events organized in Casa Lajolo, not only have the aim to bring the public to visit the house and its garden, they are occasions to spread culture, conveyed trough different modalities of involvement, considering the historic, botanical and landscape peculiarities and characteristics of the site.
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The opening of Sunday, October 31st is dedicated to grapes and wine, main characters of fall season.
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At 4 pm, Cantina 366 di Agliè presents the project “Life choices“, a fascinating story of wine and friendship, of brave decisions taken for the recovery of vineyards and traditional cultivation techniques.
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The narration of the protagonists of this adventure - three engineers from Turin born in 1966 - will be accompanied by a reading inspired by wine and by the philosophy with which the producers have chosen to become winegrowers, and by a tasting guided by Mauro Nesti, sommelier and founding member of Cantina 366.
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If you want to check out all the proposals, go to the dedicated page on our website
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