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Newsletter in the rain

posted on 12 April 2013
…nothing but rain, rain, and more rain… I swear that we have NEVER seen such a season!!! This has been a growing year that starting way back in autumn has brought rain practically every week, even though the winter was not particularly severe. One must exercise patience, and we know that “it never rains forever,” and that the sun does eventually appear. So, we can only hope. The activities in the vineyard are proceeding slowly (see above paragraph!), but things are going very nicely in the cellar. After bottling in January, we released Rosanoire 2012, and then in March Zerdì 2010 and Groppello 2012 went into bottle. The former may have to wait a few months, but the second is ready now, and the bottles are now on their way to the retail shelf. The first customer reactions have been very positive, further proof that despite the rather bizarre weather, the 2012 vintage has been a very, very good one, at least for Cantrina. While waiting for spring to finally emerge with all of its long-awaited life-force, we can report the good news that on 8 March, right on the date for International Women’s Day, I became a delegate for the Lombardy region of Donne del vino, Women in Wine. This is a new opportunity for me, and will allow me to utilise my experience as a wine producer and as board member of the Consorzio Valténesi. I will be working closely with my colleagues in creating regional- and national-level projects to promote the culture of wine from a woman’s unique point of view. For those not familiar with Donne del Vino, we are not just wine producers, but also sommeliers, restaurateurs, wine shop owners, journalists, and more, all of us working professionally, and with passionate dedication, in the wine world. At the moment, for example, we are planning an event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the organisation. Here are two young, attractive women of wine… We’ll see what I manage to do, in the midst of the thousands of things I already have to do in my job, but I do like to commit my energies to organisation activities, as long as everyone pitches in. Up to this point, I have found that my colleagues are very team-oriented and have terrific ideas, so… full steam ahead! Cristina

Harvest in Cantrina

posted on 8 October 2009
Here we are almost at the end of the harvest (we still have to pick just a tiny part of our grapes and press those that we have set aside for drying) and so, strange as it may seem, it’s time to take stock of the overall situation once again. It was a precocious harvest for the early-ripening grapes (Pinot Nero, Chardonnay and Sauvignon), due to early flowering in the spring and very favourable weather during the summer. The picking time for Merlot, Rebo and Marzemino was more in line with the norm, thanks to a fine September with cool nights and rain-free days. The health of the grapes and the first analyses of the new wines allow us to rate 2009 as a good year. Only time will tell us whether it will be an excellent vintage: yes, time, which is much more truthful than all those exaggerated proclamations we tend to be bombarded with each year as the harvest approaches…

Let’s talk about…Vinitaly 2009

posted on 20 March 2009
vendemmia 2019
Here we are getting ready for Vinitaly 2009, even if it seems to us less and less like a fair that is appropriate for small producers like ourselves: amid all the hustle and bustle of this great event it is difficult to explain to people about our “open-minded exercice de style”. This year, therefore, we are concentrating on alternative methods of getting together with our friends (let’s hear from you!). However, if you are at Vinitaly on 2nd and 3rd April you can find us in the Lombardy pavilion in the PalaExpo on stand C7. If you so desire, we will be able to give you more details about our new releases, which we will merely outline below: Groppello, an indigenous grape variety of the Valtènesi, has become a part of Cantina’s range; with the 2008 vintage we have sought to express and interpret the potential of this cultivar in line with our particular philosophy of production. Rinè 2007 will have a new label, which will also reflect a few small changes we have made in the wine itself. Incrocio Manzoni is the new grape variety that gives this wine a stronger identity.

Cantrina from the old to the new year

posted on 20 January 2009
2008 is now just a memory: it gave us cause for concern with its rains in the spring and then cause for satisfaction with a late summer and early autumn that were ideal for ripening the grapes. The harvest then took place in cool, dry weather conditions: this, together with our efforts to keep down yields, allowed us to pick healthy grapes with a good sugar/acid balance. The resulting wines combine concentration with very fresh aromas and flavours, suggesting that they will have excellent ageing potential. 2008 was also a year for reflection. We thought long and hard about the type of wines we produce, constantly asking ourselves the same questions: “Can we express our terroir even without using indigenous grapes?” and “Can we demonstrate that quality and personality are independent of autochthony?”
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