Why winemakers hold a passion for old vines
Summary:
We are delighted to be joined by three esteemed guardians of these incredible important pieces of living history from our specialist regions of France, Spain and Italy. Moderated by our Membership Manager Justin Martindale MW, this webinar will discuss the various factors involved in curating these unique vineyards, covering a broad range of topics, including:
- The relevance of low yielding vines
- The quality of the wines produced by old vines
- How best to preserve this unique agricultural heritage
- The economic and social significance of old vines
- The importance played by the future proofing of genetic diversity and genetic material in the fight/resilience to diseases and climate change
This webinar continues our partnership with the Old Vines Conference, whose mission is to promote a credible wine category for Old Vine wines. You can find out more about their work on their website https://www.oldvines.org/
About the Speakers:
Andreas Kubach MW is a Spanish-German wine producer and entrepreneur. He is co-founder and CEO of Península Vinicultores, a company that manages the vineyards and wineries of its shareholders – currently Bodegas Fontana in Uclés (Castile) and Bodega Bideona in Rioja Alavesa.
Fontana is a leading producer of organic and sustainably grown wines from over 600 hectares of high-altitude vineyards. Bideona produces terroir-driven, site-specific wines from historic vineyard parcels in Rioja Alavesa. In addition, Andreas and his team make a range of wines from unique vineyards that are at risk of disappearing in different parts of Spain.
Andreas has been managing wine estates and wineries for over 25 years, recovering vineyards and making wines all over Spain and distributing them around the world. He holds degrees in Business Administration from ICADE and the German business school ESB. Born to German parents, Andreas has lived in Spain since his youth. He speaks Spanish, English, German, French and Portuguese. Andreas has been a Master of Wine since 2017, one of currently five with Spanish nationality.
Viviana Malafarina trained as a teacher and linguist, and went on to work (as both sommelier and crew) on super yachts before accepting a short-term role at Feudi. Here she found her metier and was captivated by viticulture - “the vineyard land and landscape, our role in the landscape, and in the ambience of life”, as she says.
She had been in the job for just 3 months when owner Antonio Capaldo spotted her talent with vines, and offered her a permanent position as viticulturist at Basilisco. “What you don’t know, we can teach you. And we will find you the very best teachers”, is what he promised her. A year later, Viviana was running the winery. Antonio kept his promise about teachers and she learned viticulture from Pierpaolo Sirch and was mentored by the late Denis Dubordieu for 3 years. “He showed me what to aim for”, Viviana says.
Her first act upon assuming leadership of Basilisco in 2012 was to persuade Antonio Capaldo to bottle the ancient 2-hectare vineyard, “Storico”, as a single cuvée Aglianico. She was supported by Pierpaolo Sirch, who describes the mountainous plot of ancient ungrafted vines as “an open air museum”. That Storico survives is a a credit to the previous owner who had preserved the ancient but labour intensive “a capanno” training method for decades. Viviana is one of the brightest young talents of Italian vine growing, and collaborates with like-minded winemakers in the region.
After completing her agronomy engineering studies at the Purpan School in Toulouse, Elodie graduated in 2019, gaining valuable experience at the French Vine and Wine Institute, in the southwest region. Driven by a passion for the viticulture and oenology sector, she joined the research and development technical team at Plaimont as a project coordinator. In 2021, she took full responsibility for the R&D department and oversaw the design and commissioning of the experimental cellar.
Today, she manages research projects on indigenous grape varieties, viticulture, and oenology, in collaboration with Plaimont's technical teams. She is also in charge of vinifications and aging of certain exceptional cuvées, such as pre-phylloxera vines and other micro-crus.
Timestamps:
Elodie's Introduction (00:02)
Elodie Gassiolle presents Parliament winery in Gascony, France, discussing the indigenous varieties, viticulture, and preservation of old vines.
Viviana's Introduction (00:06)
Viviana Malafarina introduces Basilisco winery in Basilicata, Italy, highlighting the historical wine made from ancient vines and the unique volcanic terroir.
Andreas's Introduction (00:12)
Andreas Kubach MW presents By.Owners winery in Rioja, Spain, emphasizing the diversity of old vineyards and the shift towards terroir-driven wines in Rioja.
Preservation of Old Vines at Parliament (00:22)
Elodie explains how mixed farming and financial incentives have contributed to the preservation of old vines at Parliament winery in Gascony, France.
Preservation of Old Vines at Basilisco (00:24)
Viviana discusses the historical neglect and subsequent preservation efforts that have helped maintain old vineyards at Basilisco winery in Basilicata, Italy.
Basilicata and Old Vineyards (00:26)
Description: Discussion about the challenges of preserving old vineyards in Basilicata, Italy, due to the lack of value and the production interests.
Viticulture Challenges (00:27)
Description: Exploring the unique challenges and approaches to viticulture, including co-planting and managing small, complex parcels in Gascony, France, and Rioja, Spain.
Wild Vines and Genetic Analysis (00:31)
Description: Discussion about wild vines, specifically the lambrusco, and the genetic analysis to confirm the authenticity of the vines.
Yields in Old Vineyards (00:35)
Description: Exploring the debate about yields in old vineyards and the impact on the commercial viability of the vineyards.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices (00:40)
Description: Unique winemaking practices for old vineyards, focusing on extraction, preservation of aromatics, and the impact of deep roots on alcohol levels.
Preservation of Old Vineyards (00:46)
Description: The importance of preserving old vineyards for their resilience, stability, historical significance, and as a legacy for the future.
The value of genetic diversity (00:50)
Elodie discusses the genetic diversity found in old vines and the importance of preserving it.
Preserving old vines (00:52)
The host, Justin Martindale MW, explores the importance of preserving old vines and asks about the best way to do it.
Unique wines from old vines (00:52)
Viviana emphasizes the unique personality and cultural element of wines made from old vines.
Justifying the preservation of old vines (00:53)
Viviana argues for the importance of making great wines from old vines to give them a reason to exist.
Other WSG Replays with Justin Martindale MW, Elodie Gassiolle, Andreas Kubach MW and/or Viviana Malafarina
