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Villa de Mese is part of the historic, cutting edge Castellani Tuscan estate. Castellani was established in Montecavoli in 1903 as Alfred and his brother Mario, long-standing wine growers, decided to bottle and sell their own wine instead of providing other wineries with the finest grapes in the area. The most important vineyard was the one in Santa Lucia, in the fertile Arno Valley, where a sprightly and "fit for aging" red wine was produced. Castellani Winery has changed and evolved over the decades. All of their estates use a natural cultivation and vine training method. It is an integrated method that uses viticulture practices of various organic, ecological and biodynamic systems, supported by a wide research and experimental program. They use only organic soil and pest treatments and conserve all paper and waste beyond the guidelines set for being sustainable. For nearly 20 years now, Castellani, in collaboration with the University of Pisa, has been scouring the countryside in search of indigenous grape varietals. Since ancient times, Italy has served as a sort of open-air nursery for Mediterranean grape varietals. There are at least 2,000 indigenous grape varieties in Italy, and about 360 are used to make commercial wines. Apulia produces more wine than any other Italian region, usually making up around 17% of the national total. It also competes with Sicily for first place as grape producer. For a long time, much of the wine made here was shipped north to Turin where it was used to make Vermouth. In recent years, Pugliese vintners have changed their views and tastes and are pursuing wines that effectively balance sweetness, acid, alcohol content and density. The noble Tuscan varietal, Sangiovese, is the grape here. Even though it is grown in Puglia, the heel of the boot of Italy, Castellani knows a lot about it since it is the principle grape in their signature wines from Chianti. The lovely flavors of cherry and spice would be perfect with a variety of dishes from lamb to chicken. May 2012 Classic Series Newsletter (.pdf)
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