Fattoria di Rodano: our philosophy

I can really say that wine derives from man's work to transform the grape, fruit of the vine.

The vineyard

The vineyard too is the result of man's work, but the quality of its fruit greatly depends on the nature of the land, the disposition, the microclimate and all those characteristics summed up by the French in one word "terroir". 

This is why each vineyard differs from the next. And this is why a good winemaker must adapt his work to the "terroir" of the vineyard and not the opposite.

Man, the "Winemaker"

The relationship between man and vine is an age-old story. Each winegrower interprets this union in his own way, and the wine will be the fruit of experience gained through working in the vineyard. 

Personally, I think this relationship can arise from an in-depth knowledge of the land, from careful observation of atmospheric changes, studying the micro-fauna and a continuous and steadfast presence in the winemaking sector. 

This relationship initiates relations among those who have dedicated time and work as I try to transmit my know-how, experience and passion to them. 

I have been managing Rodano for more than 30 years now and I have been lucky over this time. 

I was lucky to have my father by my side, who taught me to listen to and respect the work of others and to be curious and determined to enrich my knowledge. 

 The luck of working with "old" people who spent their lives in Rodano and who taught me their passion for the vineyard. 

The luck of having Maestro Giulio Gambelli as a friend and consultant who taught me how to respect the cellar that comes from the vineyard. 

The luck of meeting many winemaking colleagues with whom I can exchange know-how and experience. 

Today, I believe wine must be the outcome, or better still, a reflection of the grape it comes from, the grape that carries the flavours within, given to us by the vineyard. My task is to respect existing relations between the three entities, the Vineyard-Grape-Wine. This is why, when I plant a new vineyard, I respect its natural and original disposition, and when I fertilise it or when I have to combat parasites I use the least invasive products possible. 

This is my concept and I share this with my collaborators, especially those working with me in the cellar. Therefore, when I start making wine we don't add selected yeast or additional products, and we don't use technologies that could modify the composition of the must. When we refine the wine, we use large barrels over long periods of time so the wine is prepared without using any clarifiers or filtration. This is how we show respect for our work. 

Passion for the vineyard passed on to me by "old" people. Passing entire days in the vineyard that then become months and then years naturally makes you want to love this work or, inevitably, abandon it altogether. Only passion will allow you to look and understand how to prune, tie and clean every single vine. Repetition does not exist in the vineyard because each vine is different and requires different intervention. 

This is what I think, and I respect every single winemaker who has had other experiences or taken a different path.