Magnoni family

Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany is located in central Italy and is characterized by picturesque hilly areas, vast vineyards and olive trees. It is also home to world-famous medieval cities such as Florence and Siena, and is known as a region where culture and nature blend together.

As a wine producing region, it is especially famous for red wines made mainly from Sangiovese grapes, such as Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. These wines have a balanced acidity, rich fruitiness, and long aging potential.

Magnoni family domain and vineyards

Vico d'Elsa, located in the heart of Tuscany, on the outskirts of Florence, is a very small village with a population of about 300, and is a historic village that is said to have existed as early as the early 1200s.

The Magnoni family mansion located in the village, which was built in the 13th or 14th century, has trompe l'oeil 18th century frescoes on its interior walls and is filled with precious furnishings, making each room feel like a museum.

The Magnoni family is a distinguished family that prospered in finance in Florence. Pietro, the head of the family, studied economics at university and specialized in self-sufficiency economies in developing countries. He will also travel to developing countries and conduct fieldwork there.

I began to have serious doubts about the reality of modern agricultural society, in which only developed countries profit from the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, while exploiting developing countries.

Pietro spent his childhood in this area, surrounded by nature and overlooking the Roman road (Via Francigena) and the towers of the town of San Gimignano. He gradually became interested in agriculture. None of his six siblings, except for Pietro, had any interest in growing grapes or making wine.

Pietro, 30 years old, inherited the mansion and farm in 1985 and began growing grapes and making wine, and in September 2000 he began organic grape cultivation.

Organic history : Certified since 2007

Practicing organic farming gives me the satisfaction of knowing that I can take care of the environment, and I feel rewarded by being able to take an approach based on experience that is not industrial or mechanical. Pietro believes that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are necessary for "industry" and not for "agriculture." His belief is that there is no need to pay money to industry.

Furthermore, by practicing organic farming, which is an ancient agricultural method, we are able to feel a spiritual connection with the people who have worked in this area for centuries, and to maintain stronger relationships with the people who work with us in the fields and at the winery, and with those who buy and drink our wine.We believe that this is the joy and pride of practicing organic farming and making organic wine.

・White grapes : Chardonnay, Malvasia Bianca
・Black grapes : Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Ciliegiolo, Abrustine, Dolcetto, Folia Tonda

Field soil

The village of Vico d'Elsa, where the Magnoni family vineyards are located, was under the sea during the Pliocene epoch (approximately 5 to 2.6 million years ago). It is located in a hilly area with a thin layer of sand and mud soil at an altitude of 160m, and is generally dry in summer and winter, and humid in spring and autumn. Even in winter, the temperature rarely drops below 0°C, and in summer it is warm, exceeding 35°C.

The vineyards are located along a river valley and have a multi-layered structure consisting of two types of clay, one white and one gray, and a belt of reddish yellow sandstone. The grapes grown on the clay soil give the wine complexity and structure, while the grapes grown on the sandstone soil give the wine lightness and richness of aromas.

Of the 200 hectares of land, 20 hectares are devoted to vineyards, 110 hectares to wheat and other crops, 5 hectares to olive groves, and the remaining 65 hectares is woodland.

Characteristics of cultivation methods etc.

・Guyot-style hedge training and pruning are all done by hand
・Double harvesting is done in two separate harvests from the same vineyard to harvest grapes at different stages of maturity.

Characteristics of brewing method

Preserving the original taste of Chianti

According to Pietro, Chianti was originally an easy-to-drink type of wine consumed locally.

However, it attracted attention in a competition in the 1980s, and has since become famous around the world. At the time, stronger wines were popular, and the style of Chianti changed accordingly, but Pietro aims to make a Chianti that is simple and easy to drink, with the original flavor. Pietro's simple Chianti has a gentle flavor that goes well with vegetable dishes such as Caponata.

From the producers to everyone in Japan

We are very happy to be able to introduce our wines, which are made with respect for tradition and organic practices, to the people of Japan. We strive to distinguish and select the grapes according to their maturity and make wines that are suited to each one, so we hope you will be able to sense this and enjoy them.