Azienda Podere Lavandaro

A wine making company situated in Fosdinovo (MS) on the border between Tuscany and Liguria, in the land of Lunigiana. This small company is sitauted in the centre of the DOC wine production area. "Colli di Luni" and the IGT TOSCANA. The company vineyards are situated at an altitude that ranges from 200 to 450 meters above sea level, in a protected niche of land behind the village of Fosdinovo, which overlooks the company from the north, exposed to the south towards the Ligurian Sea. The Mediterranean climate, with its strong temperature variations from day and night, allows for a slow maturation of the grapes, encouraging the development of particular aromas and scents. The 3,5 hectares of Vineyard are located on slopes, on stony, sandy, clay soils, rich in natural elements with a good water supply. 70% of the vines have white grapes, the remaining 30% are red grapes. The vines are structured with a system that follows the line of maximum inclination, along the hill slopes, with very narrow planting distances and with a vine density of about 6,000 plants per hectare, trained with the Guyot system. All these techniques, together with the use of weak rootstocks guarantee a low yield of grapes and greatly increase the quality of the grapes. The management of the soil is with natural methods, based on controlled grassing and the shredding of pruning cuttings which encourage a calibrated, natural nourishment, and curb soil erosion, eliminating chemical fertilizers and mechanical processing which is counterproductive for the soil. Dealing with the diseases that wine is naturally subject to, the company uses completely natural methods that guarantee a low environmental impact, fully respecting the laws regarding integrated pest management (art. 2078) which regulates and prohibits the use of chemical products. These expensive and laborious processing techniques that are used in our vineyards mean that a low yield of grapes is obtained, which ensures an excellent maturation and concentration of the grape components, which determines the excellent quality of the wine. The company offers the possibility to visit its winery, built in an historical building of the ‘700s, at the foot of the Malaspina Castle.