#SehnsuchtChiantiClassico: Between vines and cement egg with Piero Lanza at the Poggerino winery
Piero Lanza from the Poggerino winery in Panzano in Chianti
Today I would like to continue my blog series #SehnsuchtChiantiClassico, in which I look at how people in my beloved Chianti are doing in times of the coronavirus pandemic, with a video tip. I would like to recommend the videos by Piero Lanza, owner of the Poggerino winery, to you - as an "authentic insight" into how life is going on in "my" Chianti at the moment.
The Fattoria Poggerino in Radda in Chianti
Fattoria Poggerino is located in a small "valley within a valley" to the side of Radda in Chianti and is owned by siblings Benedetta and Piero Lanza. Piero, who is an agronomist and oenologist, looks after the vineyard, while Benedetta runs the Bed & Breakfast that belongs to Poggerino. Vines, olive trees and woodland grow on an area of around 43 hectares - on hot summer days, this ensures that the grapes cool down at night and ripen gently.
Piero cultivates Sangiovese - the leading variety in Tuscany - on eleven of the twelve hectares of vineyards. Only one hectare is planted with the international Merlot grape variety. Poggerino is cultivated according to organic principles - sometimes with the help of individual biodynamic measures. But Piero is also always open to new ideas when it comes to winemaking: for example, the 2013 vintage saw the first "Chianti Classico (N)Uovo", which matures in a man-sized egg made of cement with a capacity of around 800 liters.
The videos: With Piero in the vineyard & cellar
In his first video from April 17, 2020, Piero reports directly from the vineyard: standing between the vines, he talks about his winery, the peculiarities and advantages of the size, soil and location of Poggerino. He shows that the vines are already growing vigorously and announces that the next work steps in the vineyard will soon be necessary - and that there will also be new videos of this. A regular series with the latest news from the vineyard and cellar is planned.
Because it takes many, many steps before a seedling finally becomes a glass of wine. And even in Corona times, they cannot be postponed. Even if these videos can never be an adequate substitute for a trip to Chianti Classico, they are still a way of satisfying my great #CiantiClassico longing just a tiny bit - and perhaps of others who have to wait a little longer until their next trip to Tuscany.
The anticipation of Piero's new wines, which he also describes in short video episodes, is a little more realistic: Such as his Rosato "Aurora", for example, which will also be available from me from this season. Piero also talks about "Il Labirinto Toscana Rosso", a classic IGT made from 100 percent Sangiovese, in a video. Both wines from Poggerino will be arriving soon!
Just like the two current 2018 Chianti Classico vintages - one vinified traditionally and one in a cement egg. The delivery also includes the current 2017 Riserva "Bugialla" - as well as a contingent of the highly sought-after 2016 vintage - and a few bottles of the Supertuscan "Primamateria" 2017 vintage.
You can of course watch all of Piero's videos directly on Poggerino's YouTube channel and you can also subscribe to this channel. Or you can simply visit me regularly on #NinainChianti and enjoy the latest videos here, I will always keep them up to date, perhaps accompanied by a glass of Poggerino... I would be delighted!