Tiring but exciting story of the birth of a new vineyard…
In recent months, one of the main activities of Puro Carmignano has been the planting of a new vineyard on the land owned under the Medici’s Condotti.
We decided to tell you about it in a new “form”, by interviewing who in the company we jokingly call the Agricultural Services Manager, or more simply… Sergio!
Hi Sergio, Puro Carmignano has a new vineyard a few days ago. Will we also make wine?
No. The wine will not be made.
We do not have the structure and above all we leave the wine to those who know how to do it and well (and here in Carmignano there are many). Consortium for the Protection of Carmignano Wines
Our vineyard will be used exclusively for making Agresto, at least it is possible that in the future, if there will be a lot of grapes, we can decide to make grape jam or something similar.
Agresto is a sweet and sour condiment similar to balsamic vinegar, which was apparently already known to the Romans and perhaps also to the Etruscans…. It is excellent in salads, as a dressing for meat or fish and as a reduction on cheese or desserts… The best? Raw! Together with oil for a pinzimonio of seasonal vegetables!!! Haven’t you tasted it yet?! You don’t know what you’re missing….
What grape variety was chosen and why?
The grape variety chosen is Merlot. We chose it because the area is very low and there may be late frosts and we need vines that start late and excluding the whites, not suitable for agresto, the reds are only Merlot and Cabernet.
Between the two, I was advised by a local producer to put the Merlot and this was the choice.
It was the first time you planted a vineyard, why did you basically choose to do it alone?
Yes, it was the first and it will also be the last because it’s a huge effort (laughs).
The choice to do everything alone was dictated more than by saving themes, by the fact that I find it poetic to do everything by myself, from A to Z, the planting, the burglary, because it is something that I personally leave to posterity.
I would be pleased in many years if someone passing by would say that Sergio planted that vineyard. I would like it even more if it were my daughters who say that vineyard was planted by my father or someone who says “that vineyard was planted by my grandfather in 2022”.
Let’s say that it is something that could leave a mark, if instead it had been planted by skilled labor, we would have lost all the poetry of this future that I am imagining.
Anyway … Beautiful … but it is a huge effort.
Among other things, when we speak the vineyard is not yet finished, we have to put all the poles, all the wires, in short, there is still a lot of effort to be made, but I am happy with how it is going.
By the way, I was told that physiologically there could be a “die-off” of 8/10% of the implanted cuttings. In reality today there are at most 2% of them that have not yet sprouted. And this makes me exaggeratedly proud!
What does it mean to have a new vineyard in the landscape of Puro Carmignano?
It means there will be even more work to be done!
Seriously … today it is already a great emotion to “look out” from the Medici’s Condotti and see that patch of land anticipating what is to come. In the near future it will be more and more a further small piece of beauty to complete all that beauty that already fortunately surrounds us today.
If you want to find out more about Agresto of Carmignano, read here:
