Ornina Winery

Ornina is a young, natural, dynamic and biodynamic farm.

It is home for us, not just a business; it is the place where we experience the most beautiful and uplifting moments every day, but also the most exciting ones – the ones that make you hold your breath, because living in the countryside is beautiful – but there are very few things we can take for granted. We live according to the rhythms of nature, and we turn to it every day, so that in September, it will give us the most beautiful vine, which for us are life.

Our project began as a sort of gamble in 2008, when we took over the family farm, where Orazio, Marco’s father, planted two hectares of vineyard in 1973, cultivated with Tuscan vines, mostly Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia.

From that first harvest, we realized that perhaps wine in Casentino could be a winning bet.

Hence the need to take the utmost care of this generous land, following the biodynamic method in the vineyard, and the natural method in the cellar. We had the clear idea of bringing the best fruit of a healthy land into the cellar and working it with the utmost respect for its expressiveness, so that in every glass of our wine it would be possible to taste a little bit of Casentino.

…The Casentino… A virgin and wild land, free from the rigid laws of Tuscan wine production; a blank canvas on which to start drawing freely, the ideal place for a young winemaker to give vent to his experimental soul.

So, after having a go on the ethical production of wines, we began to study the grape varieties that could best color this canvas: not only Sangiovese, which is in fact traditional to Tuscany, but not to Casentino; thus, we set out to rediscover the old and now almost entirely lost varieties of our area; as well as to see how Nordic varieties such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Reasling and Traminer could express themselves in our cool valley.

From the almost 2 hectares of Orazio’s vineyard, we have grown to 6 hectares, which year after year begin to give us fruit with unexpected nuances. Our next adventure will be the planting of a hectare of olive grove, and then who knows… there is still plenty of white space on the canvas. That’s why we never get bored at Ornina!

HOW WE CULTIVATE THE LAND

We love our Land and we also want to take care of it as much as possible as long as we are its guardians. The best way to do this is to try to keep the balance between soil and subsoil as much as possible – that goes without saying! However, that is not clear to all… This is the basic concept of biodynamics, which we implement in our farming practice.

In November, we sow the green manure, which in spring, when it is in bloom, we cut and plant, creating humus to nourish the soil. We use biodynamic 500 and 501 preparations to give input to the vineyard ecosystem, finding the balance between soil and light; for us these are the fundamental principles of biodynamics. It is thanks to these practices, and to the young people who work and look after our vines, that every autumn our winery receives beautiful, healthy and substantial fruit. It is thanks to them that we can extract their nectar in the winery, without the use of the many chemical substances that are permitted even in organic farming and that can alter the essence of the fruit; there is no need!

OUR NATURAL WINE

We do not distinguish between conventional and natural wines. For us, wine simply has to be made well, in accordance with ethics, and this concerns respect for the land and for the human being, but it does not mean left to ‘chance’, quite the contrary. Wine must first of all be good, clean and without defects. With meticulousness and precision this can be achieved even without the use of the many substances permitted in oenological practices, even the so-called “green” ones.

Fermentation is spontaneous, the wines are decanted, often to avoid reductions or “stinks”, malolactic fermentation is also carried out on white wines, thus avoiding so-called “sterile” filtrations that take the life and therefore the soul out of the wine, as our oenologist always says! ;)

No tannins, stabilizers, acidifiers or anything else are added during their time in the cellar. The only thing we allow ourselves to add is a ridiculous amount of metabisulfite. Although, among the latest experiments, we have turned to the production of wines completely without the addition of sulfites. A successful experiment, which we will certainly repeat for our younger wines.

WELCOME TO THE CELLAR

Wines, especially the unconventional ones as we like them, must be explained and recounted, and only at this point can they be understood in depth and madly loved. This is Greta’s mission, who, with passion and enthusiasm, will open the doors of our winery to you.

She will guide you through the discovery of our wine cellar, built following the shapes of nature, and in perfect harmony with the landscape.

From a panoramic window, overlooking the vineyards, you will be able to taste our wines paired with Casentino homemade products.

As ours is a small family-run business, and in view of the regulations against Covid-19, booking is required.

INFORMATION

Winery Ornina

Strada per Ornina, 121

52016 Castel Focognano (Arezzo)

Greta +39 3382381000

info@ornina.it – orninawine@gmail.com – www.ornina.it