Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest winery of them all?
I have been to a winery or two in my day. I honestly can't count how many, but pushing a thousand is a safe guess. Most are pretty similar no matter where you are in the world. They fall into a few classes, and some have unusual features such as using gravity to their advantage, but few really stand out.
Italy is a wonderful country. I love the people, the food and the culture. I have never really been crazy about much of their wine. The anarchical spirit of the Italians is a big part of their charm, but my tastes in wine demand a more controlled approach to wine making. And so it is with no small amount of irony that I announce that the most impressive winery I have ever visited, was in fact in Italy.
The irony may be tempered a bit when you realize that the owners and driving visionaries of this remarkable winery, are in fact Americans. John Mariani, Sr. started in the wine business way back in 1919, and today his empire is in the able hands of his children and grandchildren.
Banfi began as an importer of Italian wines, although today it is better known as a producer. Castello Banfi, perched high on a hill in the Montalcino region of Italy, is the archetype for the great Italian wine producing villa. Only at Banfi, the Castello is just the start.
The winery itself is on the grounds, but not stuffed into a corner of the castle, as so many others are. Instead it resides in a newly created, and impressively well thought out, computer controlled modern facility.
What strikes me most about the Banfi winery is something so obvious that it should be part of the design of every facility. As if it were a glacial assembly line, the grapes enter one end of the building, and finished wines exit the other end. In between you walk along a timeline of wine production, from beginning to end, all in a straight line.
It is clean, it is beautiful, and it is large (around 1.3 million cases). It is above ground where it should be, and below ground where the passive cooling is required. But mostly, it is well designed at every stop.
This helps Banfi produce quality wines at very competitive prices. Their wines do not suffer the inconsistency or bottle variation of too many of their neighbors. This is a technological success story, that does not eschew traditional wine making techniques. It uses appropriate technology to enhance, not supplant the traditions.
If you are headed to Italy visit Montalcino. Not only are the wines from this region some of my favorites in Italy, but it will give you a chance to experience the hospitality of Banfi. Compare their vineyard management and wine making facilities to any and all others you may visit, and you will see for yourself what a difference paying attention can make.
Italy is a wonderful country. I love the people, the food and the culture. I have never really been crazy about much of their wine. The anarchical spirit of the Italians is a big part of their charm, but my tastes in wine demand a more controlled approach to wine making. And so it is with no small amount of irony that I announce that the most impressive winery I have ever visited, was in fact in Italy.
The irony may be tempered a bit when you realize that the owners and driving visionaries of this remarkable winery, are in fact Americans. John Mariani, Sr. started in the wine business way back in 1919, and today his empire is in the able hands of his children and grandchildren.
Banfi began as an importer of Italian wines, although today it is better known as a producer. Castello Banfi, perched high on a hill in the Montalcino region of Italy, is the archetype for the great Italian wine producing villa. Only at Banfi, the Castello is just the start.
The winery itself is on the grounds, but not stuffed into a corner of the castle, as so many others are. Instead it resides in a newly created, and impressively well thought out, computer controlled modern facility.
What strikes me most about the Banfi winery is something so obvious that it should be part of the design of every facility. As if it were a glacial assembly line, the grapes enter one end of the building, and finished wines exit the other end. In between you walk along a timeline of wine production, from beginning to end, all in a straight line.
It is clean, it is beautiful, and it is large (around 1.3 million cases). It is above ground where it should be, and below ground where the passive cooling is required. But mostly, it is well designed at every stop.
This helps Banfi produce quality wines at very competitive prices. Their wines do not suffer the inconsistency or bottle variation of too many of their neighbors. This is a technological success story, that does not eschew traditional wine making techniques. It uses appropriate technology to enhance, not supplant the traditions.
If you are headed to Italy visit Montalcino. Not only are the wines from this region some of my favorites in Italy, but it will give you a chance to experience the hospitality of Banfi. Compare their vineyard management and wine making facilities to any and all others you may visit, and you will see for yourself what a difference paying attention can make.
2 Comments:
hi Stephen,
talking about Italian wines, what do you think of Primitivo varietals? I understand it has been recently shown that this is the same Zinfandel grape so famous in California, and I've read quite a few people suggesting it as a low-price alternative to it.
Here in Brazil it's quite difficult to find either of one, but when one does the Primitivos tend to be much cheaper (and the "A Mano" I've tasted was really good for its price).
Zinfandel is a fruity grape. When it is made in Italy it is usually made in a more structure forward style. The fruit balances the acidity, and so you end up with wines that are not as tart as some other Italians can be.
Here in the western US, Zins are some of the cheapest wines I can buy (and do) so the Italian Primativos are never going to be a bargain for me.
I am not surprised that you have a hard time finding Zinfandel in Brazil. It is not well known outside of the US, but in my opinion some of the Zins we produce are the finest wines made in the US.
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