Organic viticulture

from 1997

When we bought Barone Pizzini, Franciacorta was not yet what it is today, but we had the feeling that something completely new was about to happen. It was 1993, but even then our intent was clear: to make the best wine possible.

We realized that a quality wine cannot be made without respecting the soil and the life it has inside.

Are we sure that to make the best wine possible we have to use herbicide?

The answer was no

“Organic viticulture” means that we use only substances found in nature or obtained from nature through simple processes to protect and feed plants in the countryside. No chemical processing or genetic manipulation, no GMO, fertilizers or synthesised chemical pesticides.

Biodiversity is encouraged in organic vineyards and the vines grow in a soil that is rich in life. Treatments against certain parasites are carried out using only sulphur and copper in their simplest compositions. Against harmful insects we use only natural plant products or bacteria. All precautions are taken to avoid the negative effects of the vicinity between organic vineyards and conventional vineyards.

All this implies more commitment, both intellectual and operational, and requires adapting to the rhythms of nature.

Organic farming, however, gives rise to high quality grapes, rich in flavor and character, which constitute the raw material from which a great wine is made.

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A farmer not only work the soil, but he works to

changing the world

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If wine is the agricultural product that best highlights the differences between two pieces of soil, it is evident that it is not just a matter of inorganic substance, stones and clay, to make the difference.

We have embraced the great teaching of Gino Girolomini, father of organic farming. He once said he felt sorry for those who went organic for certified products.

Go organic because for the piece of land you work, and try to change the world.

At the beginning, wine makers told me that we couldn't make wine without using pvpp

but we did it

We started the certification process in 2001. We have always seen the certifying bodies as a new point of view, an eye that looked at different things.

You learn something from certifications that you didn’t know before.

Barone Pizzini is the first Organic Franciacorta certified according to the European Regulation. We carry out projects in collaboration with external specialized bodies, that contribute with their knowledge to a final result guaranteed as a certificate.

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Biodiversity friend

Since 2015, we have been certified as Biodiversity Friends, the first certification for biodiversity conservation in agriculture that promotes and enhances sustainable viticulture, respectful of the land and the communities within it. Biodiversity Friend regards farmers as true custodians of the land and assesses environmental sustainability in the field through the Biodiversity Indices of air, water, and soil.

ITACA PROJECT

Emissions are calculated using the International Wine Carbon Protocol IWCP scheme then processed with the system Ita-Ca (Italian Wine Carbon Calculator).

biopass

Biopass, project to measure biodiversity and corporate sustainability.

We like to say, "let's go into the cellar, let's see what we're doing", even if there is a mess, but always with the

full transparency

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The quality of work affects the quality of the wine. This was one of the reasons that prompted us to build the new cellar in 2007, a more functional structure that would improve the life of the people who produce wine.

Our approach to organic is global, and it concerns all factors: from agricultural methods to the bio-architecture of the winery, designed to fit harmoniously into the context of Franciacorta.

The architectural choices are functional to guarantee an ideal space to produce wines in respect of the territory.

For this reason the structure, buried for two thirds and covering an area of ​​approximately 5,600 square meters, adopts bioclimatic strategies and solutions.
Photovoltaic panels, natural cooling system, use of stone, wood and water purification are just some of the expedients used.

Thanks to a large mezzanine, we can make see the cellar at all times, as if it were the kitchen at sight of a restaurant.

There are no secrets, our transparency is total. From the Mezzanine we show the heart of the production.

The conclusion of the work on the erbamat said: ideal in a cutting to make

acidity and fineness

In 1997, at the beginning of our adventure in organic farming, the province of Brescia published the result of a long survey of the vineyards that were being lost.
They identified 18 native grape varieties, abandoned because they were difficult to manage or not very productive.

The conclusion of the work on Erbamat said that it was a grape capable of bringing acidity and finesse. Exactly the grape we needed, especially in the hottest years.

Present in the territory for at least 5 centuries, forgotten because it is prone to diseases and difficult to grow, it has become the greatest gift that made history.

In 2008 we planted our first vineyard, in 2011 the first harvest and in 2013 the first sparkling wine. The work of the three Theses was born first, with different percentages of Erbamat.

In 2021 we presented the first Franciacorta with Erbamat: we all agreed that it had to be Animante, the wine that represents us more.

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