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 […]
THE FESTIVE WOODLANDS
The Vignamaggio woods are scattered with paths that wind through a rich, fragrant and welcoming Mediterranean vegetation: the trees are not very large, but healthy and lush. Through their foliage one can glimpse the remains of ancient dry-stone walls, reminders that every corner of this land was once cultivated and that the woods, before the […]
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. […]
RECIPE: ARTICHOKE, CARAMELISED ONION AND BRIE TART
This recipe, created in collaboration with Freakytable, is perfect for those cool early-autumn evenings when spending some extra time in the kitchen with a glass of your favourite wine becomes quite appealing. Our fresh artichokes preserved in oil, complemented by the rich flavour of Brie, are sure to inspire you. For the pastry: (The recipe […]
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 […]
IN THE SHADE OF PETASITES
Today we went out with Francesca, manager of the Vignamaggio gardens, to explore the coolest part of the estate, in search of the petasites or butterbur, a perennial plant of the Asteracaea family. It is easy to come across these enormous herbaceous plants alongside Greve’s tributaries. They can be spotted by their huge hat-like leaves […]
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 […]
HOW TO MAKE YOUR MEDITERRANEAN SPRING WREATH
Today, our gardener Giovanni taught us how to make a Mediterranean wreath using predominantly bay leaves and Spanish broom flowers. This shrub, known as Ginestra odorosa in Italian, is indigenous and grows spontaneously all around the Mediterranean basin. You will recognise it by its sweet, heady fragrance and small yellow flowers. WHAT WE NEED We […]
ELDERFLOWERS
The elderberry bush, or sambuco as it is called in Italy, is an indigenous plant that grows spontaneously all over the country, but it is not very well known. Elderflower syrup is used mostly in central and northern European countries, while in Italy, sambuco is more commonly associated with the distinctive anise flavour of Sambuco […]