SUSTAINABLE ITALY
Organic wine is booming in Italy. In fact, the country is the world leader in terms of the percentage of surface area dedicated to organic wine grapes.
According to Nomisma Wine Monitor, based on data supplied by industry sources (Sinab, Eurostat and Fibl) as of 2018, 16.6% of Italy’s vineyards were organically cultivated, which accounted for 26% of the world’s organically farmed vineyards. From 2013–2018, the country’s organic vineyard area increased 57%, according to the report.
Barone Pizzini
Franciacorta
Franciacorta, in Italy’s Lombardy region, is noted for ageworthy, structured metodo classico sparklers made predominantly from Chardonnay and Pinot Nero. Barone Pizzini, whose vibrant, savory wines boast a classic combination of structure and elegance, was the first estate here to switch to organic viticulture in 1998.
In the mid-1990s, Silvano Brescianini, co-owner and managing director of Barone Pizzini, made the decision after he attended a seminar by a company seling agricultural products to combat fungal diseases.
“I was a restaurateur before managing the winery and wanted to learn everything I could about vine diseases and how to fight them,” he says. “I was horrified when a company representative pointed out that the product ‘could be dangerous,’ as it was a known carcinogen.” Immediately, Brescianini began to phase out harsh chemicals.
