We wanted to respect the environment, and combine the love we have for our work with quality production. As a result, we decided to experiment viticulture which has a low impact
on the environment. We now have 4 hectares of vineyard where no machines are used, and almost everything is carried out with the help of animals.
In 2009 we had the idea of introducing draught horses, because their treading the ground between the vines greatly reduces compacting of the soil compared with tractors, which inevitably destroy the soil structure and reduce its fertility.
We have several horses who work in our vineyards:
Olga, the Italian draught horse (TPR), is the oldest and our veteran.
Pioggia, our latest arrival, Olga e Diamante’s daughter.
Bebè and Diamante, two Comtoise horses (of French origin) big animals, and great workers. They are extremely versatile and together with Olga take tourists around the vineyard as well.
Elliot and Eddy, two black Murgese horses. They are a bit smaller and rather lively. We have been training them since 2016, and they promise to be tireless workers.
This partnership between man and beast has a healthy effect on Nature. Not only does it not compact the soil, it does not pollute the environment, as the use of fossil fuels is avoided. And besides, just compare the pleasure of working in complete silence, listening only to the whisperings of nature, or the deafening roar of the tractor. We are incurable romantics!
In 2009 we also had the idea of cleaning and keeping the vineyards in check solely with the use of animals. This was initially tried on a small plot- just a few rows of vines-and subsequently extended to the 4 hectares of experimental vineyard.
Geese are our cleaners in the vineyard. It takes between 80 and 100 geese to clear one hectare of vineyard. They run free and feed on the grass that grows wild between the rows. At the moment we have 400 geese on the 4 hectares.
Our geese have become part of a project called “Pollo Rurale” (Rural Chicken), created by professor Cesare Castellini, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Veterinary Science at Perugia University. Our partnership led us to discover that the meat of geese reared in this way is both tastier and healthier: a diet based on greens rather than animal feed together with the exercize they have by running free, vastly improves the content of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.
