OUR VINEYARDS
The di Marzo estate has 20 hectares of properties located exclusively in the territory of Tufo and planted with Greco di Tufo and Aglianico grapes.
The vineyards are all found in the highest and most sun-exposed areas of the Tufese territory; well ventilated and protected from excessive humidity generated by the Sabato river, they develop on an average height ranging from 320 to 400 mt a.s.l.
Almost all our vines grow on clayey, sandy soils and calcareous rocks; clay palys a fundamental role in the life of plants, because of its ability to absorb water and gradually transfer it to the roots during summer drought. The presence of ashes and pumice of the Phlegraean eruptions (35000-10500 years ago) contributes to enrich te subsoil fo Tufo.
Altitude, winds and the strong temperature changes that occur between day and night lead to a gradual maturation process, characterized by the concentration into the grapes’ skin of aromatic substances with intense and elegant aroma sas well as important quantities of acids fixed in the pulp.
Furthermore, the average temperatures are strongly influenced by the numerous streams and woods that cover the Tufese hills and that contrast overheating, creating fresh hill breezes which prevent dangerous moulds.
Our vineyards are therefore grafted into an agricultural and human context that is not too anthropized and exploited by intensive viticulture, thus managing to preserve a good biodiversity that is unfortunately already lost in other areas of Irpinia.
We of the Cantine di Marzo, in fact, do not consider the vineyard as a simple piece of land, but rather as a complex living organism constituted by the whole af all those life forms such as plants, insects, animals and micro-organisms that, living together in that given terrain, they create a delicate balance able to influence the quality of the wine produced and together they allow the vine to better withstand the attacks from the surrounding environment.
It is with this philosophy that our specialized technicians have always put into practice viticulture techniques that can help preserve and increase the biodiversity of the vineyard and its surrounding nature.
In addition to sprinkling our soils with manure, in spring we carry out the “green manure”, an ancient agrarian practice that involves mowing and burying superficial plants.
With this operation we succeed, in a simple and completely natural way, in fertilizing the soil with contained cost and without any environmental impact, unlike what happens with the use of chemical fertilizers. The soil is thus naturally enriched with nitrogen, it protects itself from erosion and prevents ground water pollution by nitrates.
Our winery obtained the Italian SQNPI certification for sustainable quality, confirming our commitment in reducing the use of harmful chemical substances, an integrated pest management system for our vineyards.
The targeted introduction of sheep into the vineyards fully respects our corporate philosophy. These precious herbivores, in fact, leave the vines intact but keep the soil clean from weeds with less mechanical work. Sheep also naturally fertilize the soil improving its microbic load, which is useful for the plants’ wellbeing and necessary to guarantee a better quality of the grapes.
All this is accompanied by a soft pruning of the vine, to minimize stress and maximize the vascularization of the plant.
Since 2016, Ferrante, together with our winemaker Vincenzo Mercurio, has embarked on an ambitious zoning project of the Tufese territory aimed at enhancing and highlighting the peculiarities of a specific vineyard, each one with its own identity and uniqueness.
