Podere Gualandi - Guido Gualandi
I started my farm with the objective of reproducing the traditional Tuscan rotation of crops. Wheat olives and grapes. And few animals. As an archaeologist, I tried to reproduce the traditional methods, organic without modern technology and without added products.
We are following UN SDG 12.We are pro climate activists with our environmental engagement: the winery and residence of the Gualandi’s already uses close to 100% renewable. The rain water is kept underground and used in the house and the farm. Hot water is generated by solar panels and heating by the olive pits and branches from the pruning of olive trees. Electricity is generated by solar panels. Compost is self-produced.
The use of tractors is minimized and most tasks are done by hand. Most tools are electric and recharged with the sun energy.
The farm is registered organic from 2008.
Harvest is all by hand, grapes in crates and crushed by hand with manual rolls.
A singular particularity is the fermentation of the grapes, which takes place with the stems in open wooden vats. Afterwards, the wine is transferred to a series of barrels and barriques where it rests for approximately two months without being removed. It is periodically stirred with the batonnage method. Inside these containers, the malolactic fermentation takes place. After two months, the wine is finally moved to new barriques or oak barrels ranging from three to twentyfive hectolitres in size. Here it stays until the wine is put into bottles(one to six years). The wine is stirred with the lees sometimes during the aging process.
Before being bottled, most of the wine does not undergo any filtering or lightening process to ensure that the characteristics of the grapes used remain intact in the final product.
Nothing is added except some sulphites in some wines.