Farm and WorkFarm and Work
Our land in Barberino Val d’Elsa
La Spinosa sits at the bottom of a valley framed by the gentle ridges of the hills that lie south-west of Barberino val d’Elsa. The farm spreads over more than 70 hectares, 12 of which consist of vineyards, while 25 are cultivated with rotating crops (durum wheat, spelt, forage). Our olive grove consists of 2000 plants. Nearby the wine cellar, we also fenced off a portion of land for our horses to graze.
From the very beginning, the guiding principles of our work have prompted us to adopt an integrated type of farming (reg. EEC 2078), eventually switching to organic farming since 1994, as certified by the CCPB of Bologna.
We only use organic fertilizers provided for by the organic certification guidelines and we take care of weed infestations only through mechanical operations.
For our pesticide defences, we use only “contact” products such as copper and sulfur, whereas most conventional vineyard cultivations make also use of “systemic” pesticides, compounds that manage to infiltrate the plant leaving chemical residues.
The production of a good and healthy wine starts with a correct soil management, which is why we keep our rows alternated, a cultivated one followed by one grown in grass. We maintain the worked rows with gentle harrowing by means of rotating disk harrow, while the one standing in grass are left to grow mixed essences of legumes and grasses, mowed 2 or 3 times per year depending on rainfalls. This method allows us to optimize water management, generating a vegetative-productive balance that has beneficial effects on the quality of grapes. As for plant protection treatments, we use only copper and sulfur against peronospera and oidium, while we apply Bacillus Thuringiensis against grapevine moths, making exclusive use of organic fertilisers. Our soil management practices and a balanced use of fertilizers allowed us to obtain loose-packed clusters that are rarely affected by botrytis. When the vintage is particularly favourable, we intentionally maintain a medium-low production through cluster thinning, carried out in early July when bunches start closing, and then again at the end of July, before fruits start colouring. Thus, we keep the amount of grapes at an average between 1 kg and 1.5 kg per strain.
Our Vineyards
How to produce good & healthy wine
Our vineyards are located in the Chianti area between Florence and Siena, at an altitude of 300 metres above sea level. The land, which is predominantly of moraenic origin, consists of pliocene sand formations. The Mediterranean climate and a favourable exposure, along with organic farming practices, allowed us to produce quality wines whose characteristics enhance the peculiar features of each vine variety and soil.
Olive groves & arable land
2000 Olive Plants in Barberino
We work our arable land with equipment that only overturns the soil superficially, saving energy and reducing both soil impoverishment and CO2 emissions. The changeover between soil-depleting crops and catch crops, along with a fertilization process that makes exclusive use of green manure cropping and organic matter, also allows for an adequate control of weeds.
Our way of doing agriculture is to let our products express the characteristics of the soil and the peculiarities of every year of production. Our cereals, our Oil and above all our wines, faithfully reflect the character of the land and the period in which they were born, grown and harvested.
Our work is carried out with a predominant use of human labour, respecting local traditional practices that are a direct inheritance of the ancient Tuscan farming culture.