Vineyards, Olive Groves and Fields of Grain characterize our Organic Farm, which is nestled in the Heart of the Lazian Maremma.
The Vineyards at Poggio Nebbia
The grape-growing tradition of our family is now its 3rd generation. The long-lived experience of our grandparents and our parents has been handed down to us, and has allowed our generation to mature from solely cultivating grapes to producing wonderful wines.
Our vineyards flourish upon gentle sloping hills which are naturally rich in clay. The soft Tyrrhenian Sea breezes enrich the wine, giving it a fine, savory and rich-bodied flavor. The Mediterranean climate in our territory guarantees that the grapes have a lengthy exposure to the sun’s rays, bringing them to a superior maturation and higher sugar content, exalting the aroma.
Our cultivation techniques of Spurred Cordon Technique for Red Wines and the Guyot Metod for Whites is coupled with an emergency irrigation system, that gives water to the vines, only when necessary. These systems and techniques result in a superior quality of grapes, as opposed to higher yields.
We deeply treasure the long experience of our family in the cultivation and harvest of the vines. Not even the lengthy passage of time has changed our family grape harvest traditions, known in Italian as “the vendemia”. Our childhood memories spark with the joy of the toil, which involved family, friends and neighbors and became a day long “festa”. If we close our eyes we can still smell the sweetness of fresh grape juice, feel the stickiness on our fingers and hear the laughter bubbling around the vineyard. These sensations rest within us and every year we work enthusiastically and tirelessly to transform our scrumptious grapes into delectable wines.
Our grandparents grew and harvested grapes only for personal use of the family, whereas we produce wines for an international market, featuring three varieties of Red Wines and two of Whites. Although the ultimate destination of our wine-making has changed, our techniques of cultivation, harvesting and wine-making have remained the same. That rapturous sensation that comes only from the “Vendemia” is the same today as it was in the past … and will continue to be so, for the future.
The Olive Groves at Poggio Nebbia
The Olive trees that are cultivated on our farm are of three varieties: Canino, Leccino and Moraiolo. Even today, the harvest is done rigorously by hand and the olives are pressed into oil the same day they are picked. This immediate pressing preserves all of the natural vital qualities that constitute a true Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
If you look carefully at our olive grove, you will notice a big difference in the age of the various trees. In fact, our family has always carried out the practice of planting new olive trees next to older and more mature ones…. as if the roots of the elderly could communicate with the younger trees and advise them how to grow strong and healthy.
This family tradition has imbibed tenderness within our olive groves, as the elder trees were planted by our parents, grandparents and great grandparents. It’s as if we feel their presence whispering in the olive branches. Much like the communication between the trees, our ancestors remind us how to look after the groves and cultivate them with love and care so that the precious olive oil rendered, safeguards the health and well-being of the new generations.
Our Fields of Grain
One of the most important activities of our farm is our grain production which consists of durum wheat, barley, spelt (an older variety of wheat), hay and purple medic – the latter two which are used as feed for cattle raised on local organic farms.
Poggio Nebbia is beautifully positioned upon a territory that has a long history of raising quality grains, known as the “Farnesiana”. The production of grains and cereals in this area is so deeply rooted, dating back to Roman and Etruscan antiquity, that the Romans named the land, “Granaio di Roma” – The Granary of Rome. We seek to honor this distant calling of the land by cultivating organic grain from which we can produce our home-made pasta, bread, cakes, pies and cookies that we proudly offer at Poggio Nebbia – both in our Restaurant and in our Bottega.