newsletter

We’re just about there....

This year, too, we’re almost into harvest. That despite a winter that was among the warmest and driest in memory, despite the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown, decked out in gloves and masks; despite the late spring and near-rainless summer; despite hail here and there that did some damage; despite the ultra-vigorous foliage in the vineyards that made us re-double our efforts to ward off fungal attacks and carefully monitor the crop; and despite all the large and small problems that we have to always confront every day “on the grape-growing front”. And of course, every year many of our friends ask us, with equal parts of both eagerness and worry, “How will the wine be this year?” From all those “despites” in the first paragraph you can understand that this has not been an easy year by any means, especially for those like us who farm organically. At the moment, it certainly does not appear to be one of the better growing years, even though a lot will depend on the weather from this point on. If we are granted good weather, there could be some pleasant surprises for us, particularly with the later-ripening red grapes, which we thinned very heavily this year. So, we could end up with a vintage characterised more by crisp acidities and suppleness than by concentration and power, with the wines a bit a bit slighter, but, if we take great care, still delicious and easy-drinking. So, we’re waiting and keeping our fingers crossed. What we have to do is keep concentrated, and exercise painstaking attention in bringing in the finest grapes we can, and in vinifying them with the utmost respect. That done, time will eventually make known its own unique and infallible judgement!

New Website! Our real news is that our website, Cantrina, has put on some fancy new clothes! You might already have seen our new graphics if you’ve visited it recently. We wanted it to be fresher, clearer, and more contemporary in the way we communicate certain important values that underly our winegrowing philosophy—the artisanal quality of our winemaking, our commitment to organic viticulture, and above all the creativity that contributes to making our wines truly unique, with distinctive personalities. So, it’s no accident that the graphics concept of our new website is “made at Cantrina.” A shoutout to Tommaso Pasini, who transformed Cristina’s artistic bent into code and movement. ack, on t We would love to hear your feedbhe site’s flow, too, and on whether the concepts “leap out.