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43°31′01″N 11°22′48″E / 43.5170676°N 11.3798964°E / 43.5170676; 11.3798964
Castello di Volpaia is a winery located in the medieval village of Volpaia. The estate spans over 900 acres (360 ha), divided between vineyards, olive groves, and woods. The winery is organically farmed, producing extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and wine, particularly Chianti Classico. The winery is owned by Carlo and Giovannella Mascheroni Stianti, who are assisted by their son Nicolo Mascheroni Stianti.
History
The della Volpaia family
The winery's logo features the coat of arms from the illustrious della Volpaia family, who lived in the village and took its name from the town itself. Lorenzo della Volpaia (1446–1512), an architect, goldsmith, mathematician, and clockmaker, founded a Florentine dynasty of clockmakers and scientific-instrument makers that included his sons, Camillo, Benvenuto, and Eufrosino, and nephew Girolamo. As a clockmaker, he gained fame and honor with the construction of the Orologio dei Pianeti (Planetary Clock) in 1510. Lorenzo also built the clock at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. He was a friend of Leonardo da Vinci and often gave him advice on technical problems; Lorenzo even took part in the discussions on the placement of Michelangelo’s David. The della Volpaia family instruments are on display at the Science Museums in Florence and Greenwich, United Kingdom, the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.
After the fall of the Republic of Siena in 1554 at the Battle of Marciano, the castle of Volpaia lost its strategic importance, but it continued prominence in its wine and olive-oil-making renown.
A viticultural renaissance at Volpaia
Raffaello Stianti, a distinguished Italian printer and bookbinder, held deep affection for his daughter, Giovannella. On her fifteenth birthday, he bestowed upon Giovannella an 18th-century Florentine ring in the likeness of two foxes, a meaningful gift that connected to the Italian meaning of Volpaia, "fox's lair," which Giovannella believed sealed her destiny. In 1966, Raffaello acquired the Volpaia estate, encompassing a significant portion of the village.
When Giovannella married Carlo Mascheroni in 1972, Raffaello gifted the entire village and winery to the newlywed couple. During the mid-1970s, Carlo and Giovannella embarked on a mission to modernize the winery and produce exceptional wines while preserving the external structure of the 11th-century village. They ingeniously converted historical sites into cellars, offices, and apartments. To maintain the village's integrity, entire floors were meticulously removed, roofs raised, and laid with original tiles. Abandoned churches were equipped with state-of-the-art stainless-steel machinery.
Innovators in the Chianti Classico region, Giovannella, and Carlo were the first to employ temperature-controlled fermentation techniques. Notably, they installed a "wineduct" connecting the winery's stainless-steel fermentation tanks in the upper village to various barrel cellars in the lower part, enabling gravity to guide the wine through concealed stainless steel pipes beneath the village's sidewalks. The preservation of Volpaia's cultural and environmental heritage, overseen by Italy's Ministry of Arts and Culture, mandated the meticulous numbering and reintegration of every stone displaced during the "wineduct" construction.
Over the years, the family consistently updated the cellars with the latest vinification technologies, replacing barriques with each vintage. In the past 35 years, they have diligently replanted most vineyards with superior Sangiovese clones while safeguarding the region's oldest Sangiovese clones in a dedicated collection.
Vineyards, philosophies
The highest-elevation winery in the Chianti area, Castello di Volpaia owns approximately 46 hectares (114 acres) of vineyards, which are situated at 1,300-2,100 feet above sea level on the southern hillsides leading up to the village. Volpaia is also committed to organic farming practices and complies with all the organic viticulture legislation for the production of wine.
Today
There are 914 acres (3.70 km) of land in Volpaia, including 114 acres (0.46 km) of vineyards, nearly 40 acres (160,000 m) of olive trees, as well as the walled village, villas, woods and forests.
Winemaking at Volpaia
To get the fruit to the cellars in optimum condition, the grapes are carried in boxes that never exceed 30–40 lb. each. Using the containers also makes it easier to select which grapes will go into the Riserva. The containers are loaded onto a specially designed, five-tire trailer and delivered to the cellars within ten minutes.
At the Winery
As soon as the grapes arrive at the winery, they are sorted and destemmed. After destemming, the grapes are then delicately pressed, just to break the skins, and this must be immediately transferred to temperature-controlled, stainless-steel vats that hold between 1,585 and 3,170 gallons. These specialized vats are divided into two separate tanks stacked on top of one another. The top tank is the first stop for the grapes – they are chilled down to 46 °F (8 °C) for a two-day cold soak, and natural fermentation begins gently, as the temperatures rise after the cold soak. The gradual increase in temperature results in more complex flavors in the finished wine. This top tank is also equipped with pistons to gently punch down the cap from above. Once enough color and flavor have been extracted, the juice is separated from the must, by gravity, and goes to the bottom tank to finish fermentation.
Moving and aging
Once initial fermentation is complete, the wine is moved to the barrel cellars, all of which are located in historic buildings throughout the village. In keeping with its efforts to protect the original buildings, Castello di Volpaia created an underground "wineduct"—a labyrinth of stainless steel pipes hidden far beneath the streets of Volpaia—which transport the wine delicately from tank to barrel. Depending on the wine, malolactic fermentation, and aging occur in either 800-gallon Slovenian or French oak casks or in 60-gallon French oak barrel. The French casks are produced by Filippo Gamba and the French barriques by Seguin Moreau; both are medium-toasted. This process takes from 12–24 months depending on the wine.
Tourism
Every year more than 10,000 people visit Volpaia's cellars. In 1999 Volpaia was ranked first by The Wall Street Journal among the best alternative tourist destinations in Italy preceding Capri, Positano, and many other destinations. The ranking was published in the international press worldwide.
Cooking school
Giovannella Stianti Mascheroni, proprietress of Volpaia, conducts cooking classes in the oldest part of the village. The cooking school, opened in 2000, can accommodate up to 20 students. Lessons include cooking demonstrations, food and wine pairing, and serving Italian menus. Students learn to prepare dishes from all over Italy with an emphasis on Tuscan food.
Enoteca and Osteria
The Castello di Volpaia wine shop is located in what was once the principal tower of the castle – the village jail in a previous incarnation. The tasting room is reached by passing through narrow corridors and ancient staircases.
Art exhibitions
For 13 years until 1993, with the help of Luciano Pistoi, a famous Italian gallerist and art collector, Volpaia was the highlight of contemporary art in Italy. Piero Gilardi, Ardengo Soffici, Salvatore Scarpitta, John Long, Enzo Cucchi, Giulio Paolini, Giorgio Moranti, Alberto Burri, and many others showed in Volpaia their works.