A few hectares more means quality
Some years ago, twenty-five to be precise, a famous and above all good person, Giacomo Tachis, revealed me a secret saying that it would not be a drama if we bought grapes from other areas because maybe they were better than ours that vintage. (I never did, anyway).
A couple of years ago, a famous and equally good person, Brian Fletcher, had me taste at during fair in France, Grange by Penfolds, together with the wine-maker and he revealed a secret to me, he said that his wine was a blend of Syrah from different areas of Australia. This was because the grapes had different features that complement each other, because they are grown in different areas.
We have always considered Virzì our home, a territory where the different altitudes and exposures could provide to the same grapes different qualities and characteristics.
Syrah, Grillo, Nero d’Avola, Catarratto or Chardonnay are the expression of the particle of origin and differ from those of different particles of the same terroir.
250 meters a.s.l. and 450 meters are not the same thing, as north and south exposure are not the same.
Morale of the story is that having a few hectares more means quality because from those little differences you will be able to make a more interesting and complex wine.
We are lucky when we have a choice and we are lucky enough that we can make this choice at our place, because the wines will have unique characteristics that only our territory has.
Transforming the same type of grape but cultivated at different altitudes and exposures is essential because if you need freshness or structure you know exactly which one to harvest. The important thing is always to be a vintner, because he only knows in depth its own territory.
Francesco Spadafora
