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Speaking of the harvest…

posted on 12 July 2011
The curtain has gone up on the 2011 harvest… rather earlier than usual: we in fact started picking in mid-August. Spring this year, which was particularly hot and precocious, already made us think that there would be an early harvest, even if June and July – unusually cool but with just the right amount of regular rainfall – slightly slowed down ripening. But then along came the crazy, Sahara-like temperatures of the second half of August to speed things up again. In view of the sudden drop in acidity that accompanied the final stages of ripening, we were particularly concerned with preserving the freshness and healthiness of the fruit, so as to obtain wines that were still naturally fresh and well-balanced. The 2011 vintage, however, is promising great things for the future and it is years since we saw such fine, healthy grapes and fruit that was so “easy” to pick and select for the various products that we want to make. It is true that we have some particularly early-ripening varieties, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Nero, and we are therefore always among the first to start picking. Still, up till now, we are more than happy with the decisions we have made so far. We already have in the winery – indeed it is just finishing its fermentation – the Rosé from Pinot Nero and we have also finished gathering the white grapes that will form the basis for the Rinè. The grapes for the production of the Sole di Dario sweet wine, too, have already been put into wooden crates for drying… the excessive amount of rainfall didn’t allow us to make it in 2010, but this year we have brought in some fabulous grapes which allow us to look forward to an excellent result. And now we are busy picking Merlot, Rebo and Marzemino, which promise to give us concentrated, full-bodied wines. But, all the same… good heavens! We didn’t even have time to draw breath this year!!! It’s all just been one mad rush… whatever happened to our holidays??? Save these dates: Profumo di Mosto 2011: On Sunday 9th October, 2011, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.. You can visit some of the wineries in the Valtènesi and enjoy a plate of local food together with a glass of one of our wines… It really is a unique experience going into the cellars whilst the aroma of fermenting must still fills the air. Mercato dei Vignaioli Indipendenti (Market of Independent Vignerons): 3rd and 4thDecember, 2011, in Piacenza. We too will be at this fair/market: we are in fact members of the Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti, whose mission is as follows: To defend a profession, a philosophy and the craftsmanship that represents the knowledge, passion, history and culture of Italian Wine info@fivi.itTake a look at this website: www.fivi.it. We think that this is one of the few worthwhile associations for small producers like ourselves, and one which really defends our interests. Sovversivi del Gusto (the Subversives of Taste): we have decided to join this passionate and very unconventional group. Back in May, its organisers hired a little train that leaves from Iseo and passes through the Val Camonica, on which – for the entire day – we offered our products and those of other producers for sampling by the people who had decided to share in this leisurely Sunday “Journey in Taste”. It was really crazy and fun… why don’t you take a look?!!!:http://www.sovversividelgusto.it/2011/05/26/treno-delirio-sovverisivi-e-sapori/ We’ll call it a day for now: the tractor awaits us… Cristina and Diego

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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