One man, one vineyard, one grape variety: The impressive story of Panizzi tells how this simple equation could become one of Italy's most sensational wineries. The certified organic winery is still one of the best producers of Vernaccia di San Gimignano.In life, it is never too late to take stock, change direction and follow your dreams. Giovanni Panizzi proved this when, at the age of 50, he bought the Santa Margherita estate outside the ancient walls of San Gimignano - and thus laid the foundation for a fascinating wine story. Because, as is sometimes the case with dreams, they live on lightness. Of joy, fascination and passion. Sometimes also of courage. And so it is hardly surprising that he began to make wine almost playfully with the few hectares of vineyard that already belonged to his new domicile at that time - and in his very own style. Over the past 40 years, a 60-hectare winery has grown out of this detached game, which still bears the name Panizzis and is now managed by Simone Niccolai. A winery driven by the love for a very special grape variety and denomination - the Vernaccia di San Gimignano - and the will to promote its quality and recognition. To this day, this special grape accounts for 50 percent of production. Even though the red grape varieties Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir are equally lovingly matured and vinified with the highest standards.
Santa Margherita, the vineyard of just over seven hectares where Giovanni Panizzi once began, is still the pulsating heart of the winery today. The lifeline from which the power goes into all the many areas that have long since been added. The top vineyard owes this to its unique characteristics, the tufa and sandstone composition of the soil, the altitude and topography: so it is little wonder that it was precisely here, on part of this special piece of land, that the iconic Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG Riserva, first produced in 1990, originated. Because that is one of Panizzi's secrets: writing stories with wine, telling them and filling them with heart and soul and passion. "I have become the author of my life," the founder Panizzi once said after moving from Milan to the countryside to follow the smell and taste of wine. Seen in this light, each of the winery's individual growths is a small narrative in the very big story that he unknowingly began back then - and which consistently tells of high quality, typicality and sustainable viticulture to this day. "These values have led to innovative results, not only in the field of Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG. They also give life to the territorial and high quality red wines," sales manager Camelia Lazar proudly tells us.
For the organic-certified winery resolutely pursues the mission of continuing to unite sustainable viticulture with the original, playful, buoyant idea of the joy of creating something very special. This approach has long since become a philosophy all its own, one that thrives on deliberate moments: "For example, we prefer to age our wines in small French oak barrels. Medium and long bottle ageing is equally important for the presentation of the wines." In this way, the powerful grapes that thrive in what are now five Panizzi vineyards under loving and meticulous care are transformed into modern wines that delight with elegance, complexity and harmony.
We invite you to get to know this great winery with its 2021 Vernac.di S.Gimignano BIO in 13 at our wein.plus:club online tastings. Places, available for either B2B or end consumers, are very limited. Sign up now:
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