SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable agriculture

In our vineyards we chose to work with the aim of promoting a sustainable agriculture, prioritizing the natural processes that preserve the “environmental resource”. With our conscious development, we aim to enhance the legacy we received by giving the possibility to future generations to carry it on.
For us, sustainability is not just an ethical or idealistic choice. It translates into the adoption of an integrated agriculture, with the purpose of defining the vegetative-productive balance of the vineyards, using only organic and nature-derived products on our soils.
These choices have a greater economic impact compared to conventional agriculture, but they guarantee better quality, uniqueness and value and ensure great environmental benefits to the land we live and work for every day.

"Defending, enhancing and protecting biodiversity is a daily mantra. It is our land, our environmental heritage that we love and want to leave as intact as possible to our children."

– Fabio Zenato

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In order to protect the environment, we gave ourselves some simple, yet very important rules:

  1. 1. No use of chemical herbicides and synthetic fertilizers;
  2. 2. Cover crops in the vineyards to attract the greatest number of insects for the benefit of vegetative balance;
  3. 3. Use of the “sexual confusion” technique to limit the reproduction of insects that are harmful to the grapes (i.e. moths);
  1. 4. Punctual phytosanitary defense, determined by the season’s weather conditions, and intended to minimize the use of pesticides, with priority use of copper and sulfur;
  2. 5. Nutritional aspects of the vineyard are studied and adjusted according to the needs of the different vineyards and the balance of organic matter in the soil, using organic fertilizers and soil improvers only when necessary;
  3. 6. Irrigation, which only happens in case of emergency, is implemented through a drip irrigation system, adjusted according to the age of the plants, their physiological needs and the season. This prevents the leaves and bunches/clusters from getting wet and significantly reduces water consumption.
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A special care is given to the soil, which is particularly difficult to manage in the Lugana area due to the high presence of clay:

7. Vineyard rows are worked on several times a year to air the soil, soften it and to allow better water uptake

8. F or the benefit of biodiversity and for the vegetative balance of the vineyards, inter-rows are grassed every year, using green manure to attract the greatest number of insects;

9. Special atomizers are used to treat 3 complete rows with a single pass. This makes it possible to reduce tractor passes through the vineyard by 66% and thus reduce compaction, improving soil balance and stability conditions

10. Weeds are mechanically controlled by mowing in between rows.

11. In the vineyards there are also hives for the production of Le Morette honey.

In 2021 the company won the famous Best of Wine Tourism award in the “sustainability” category, further strengthening its commitment and proudly affirming this philosophy.

Sustainability at the Winery

October 2013 marked the opening of the new winery, a symbol of the commitment and dedication of the past generations: a building that encompasses the custody of tradition and an open gaze to the future.

It is built with the utmost respect for the environment and, following the company’s philosophy on sustainability, it is surrounded by more than 13 hectares of vineyards.
The project focused mainly on agricultural and functional aspects, combined with environmental sensitivity through new technologies.

The building is a reminder of the traditional rural courtyard, and the exterior profile features two small towers overlooking the surrounding vineyards, while the production area is entirely developed underground in order to take advantage of the thermal insulation of the ground. This design choice allows the grapes to be processed by gravity, thanks to the 8-meter depth at which the workspaces are located and the most modern and innovative technologies that allow us to optimize every step of the production process.
Our beautiful underground barrel room is built entirely of brick vaults, which guarantee controlled temperature and humidity providing an ideal environment for the ageing of our wines.

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The grapes’ drying process takes place under completely natural conditions, taking advantage brick grating wall positioned to the north that conveys ventilation from the nearby lake, thus allowing the grapes to dry properly. L’utilizzo di mattoni è un richiamo alla fornace di Lugana, che ha connotato fino agli anni Sessanta del Novecento l’area adiacente alla nuova sede. The use of bricks is a reminder of the Lugana Furnace, which connoted the surrounding area until the 1960s. Clay was obtained from the surrounding land while the bricks produced were transported by barges from the small port still existing in San Benedetto and known as “Fornaci”.

The bottling facility is in the west wing of the cellar, from which the bottles are immediately transferred to the underground level to be stored at a constant cool temperature. The last portion of the east wing is reserved for nursery activities.

The winery is self-sufficient for electricity production, thanks to the 92 kW photovoltaic system of integrated type. The system was recently implemented with an additional 50 kW, increasing the winery’s production capacity by 50 %. One of the largest facilities of its kind so far built in the province of Verona. The building’s heating system also draws on photovoltaic energy using heat pumps that maximize their energy efficiency.
For our family, this project marks an achievement, crowning the sacrifices and dedication to work of three generations, but it also feels like a starting point, with suitable spaces and modern equipment that will finally allow us to reach new goals.

Biodiversity Friend Certification

We strongly believe in the importance of sustainable certification because biodiversity is the most important resource on our planet.
Biodiversity Friend is a standard to certify biodiversity in agriculture. It measures sustainability performances in environmental, social and economic terms. In order to maintain good biodiversity standards in agrosystems, it is necessary to use proper agronomic practices that aim to:

  • Preserve soil life by maintaining soil fertility. Earthworms, mites, millipedes, centipedes, collemboles and other insects are sensitive to environmental changes and function as indicators of soil fertility;
  • Preserve life in water and maintain proper rational management of water resources. Water quality is assessed by analysis of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities, analysis of ph, electrical conductivity, and dissolved oxygen;
  • Preserve life in the air. Lichens are excellent indicators of air quality as they are extremely sensitive to any form of air pollution. By analyzing the lichen communities present on-site or in neighboring areas, it makes it possible to quantify the quality of the air;
  • Protect hedges, forests, meadows, nectariferous species;
  • Save energy/Energy conservation and use of renewable sources.

Producing while preserving biodiversity is possible and healthy. We do it every day!

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