ANDREA OCCHIPINTI
Lazio, Italy

During his studies in agronomy at the University of Tuscia he was particularly interested in the rare grape varieties bordering Lake Bolsena. He was so passionate that he decided to make it the subject of his master's thesis. Following his graduation, in 2004, he began the reconstruction of some abandoned vine plots at 450 meters altitude off of the largest volcanic lake in Europe; Gradoli. The area is part of the Maremma region (called "Tuscia" in Lazio), about a 15 minute drive from the Tuscan border. Located an hour north of Rome, Lake Bolsena offers a unique microclimate. Combining the particular terroir of volcanic rocks with its philosophy of preserving and promoting local indigenous varietals, Andrea produces traditional wines with innovative effervescence.

Today, Andrea works mainly with Aleatico di Gradoli (local aleatico) and Grechetto Rosso. The result is true terroir wines, a pure and natural Lazio appellation.

The vines (about 4000 plants per hectare) are grown with organic certification and the harvest is manual with particularly low yields (6000kg / hectares). Vinification is achieved in tanks of stainless steel and concrete and even in clay amphora from 250 to 600 liters depending on the vintage. The ambient fermentation takes place with native yeasts, the wine undergoes a very light filtration and a small amount of SO2 is added just before bottling.