On Valentine’s Day we replace vines that have surrendered to adversity with vigorous new rooted cuttings, full of life. Due to greedy wild animals, drought and other adversities, a small proportion of our vines die every year, especially in the first years of planting, when the plants are most susceptible. These plants are promptly replaced […]
Fattoria
EXTRAVIRGIN WHAT?
For our colleagues working on the farm, it’s a fixed appointment, punctually every year right after the grape vendemmia: the olive harvest. As the rows of grapevines in the vineyards turn red and the air begins to cool, the olives change colour, slowly darkening, ready to be pressed and transformed into our delicious extra virgin […]
A PASTA LIKE NO OTHER
Making pasta with the organic grain from the estate, we began to discover just how much is possible with a steaming plate of penne. What we like most about this pasta is exactly this, its simplicity, how easy it is to prepare, and the exquisite potential to be found in a food so seemingly modest. […]
WINTER PRUNING
Never as in the vineyard is it fair to say that in January we make a clean break ( a “sharp cut” in Italian) with the past: it’s pruning time. Winter pruning is an essential practice for the well-being and vigor of the plant and prepares the vine to produce for the next year. Pruning […]
FROM TREE TO BREAD
During the past few weeks, the entire farm has been abustle with the olive harvest. Up and down the stone terraces, and up on the sunny slopes (or rain drenched slopes like the last couple of days), the magic of Autumn is in the air, with smoke from burning wood mingling with the morning mist. […]
OUR GRAPES
It’s that time of the year again! It’s September and our grapes are beautiful, ripe and ready for picking. Because it’s time to harvest, our Francesco has gathered and presented the estate’s most important varietals, the most historical, those that were rediscovered, and the latest arrivals. First of all, the Sangiovese, our most prized grape, […]
FRESH FROM THE FARM: OUR PLUMS
17The wide variety of plum trees we chose to plant 5 years ago means we have fresh plums all summer long, from June to September. These various types of “prunus domestica” ripen at different times of the summer, some produce more fruit than others and they differ noticeably in flavour and colour. In June we […]
THE GOLDEN EARS
Wheat is the symbol of Summer abundance. Watching the golden ears of wheat moving in the wind, soaked in sunshine, is a special and exciting moment, especially for those like us, who love pasta. Vignamaggio decided to use indigenous and ancient grains like the hard grain Senatore Cappelli and soft grain Verna varieties that have […]
OUR ARTICHOKES
Artichokes fields are one of the most distinguishing characteristics of the Chianti landscape: on terraced land, flanking roads and on the crest of drystone walls, these magnificent verdant plants with their large silver-tinged green leaves, can be seen everywhere in spring. A true delicacy, in Tuscany the artichoke is eaten preserved in oil, as a […]
THE 2019 HARVEST
On the 16th of September 2019, Vignamaggio began picking grapes, with 30 people at work on 52 hectares of vines. A day spent in the vineyards during harvest time is quite special: there is chatter to be heard in a variety of languages, a few lively Tuscan expressions filter through the branches, and at precisely […]