Philosophy

"There are encounters that open the mind. I prefer those that open the heart".

This is the Qla philosophy that guides Mariella Gini, owner with her sons Matteo and Marco of the Montecariano viniculture and vinification company.

"In 1992, when I began looking after the family land in San Pietro, Cariano, in the heart of Valpolicella -says Mariella Gini – the doubt that maybe I was facing unexplored and difficult roads never once crossed my mind. I went to a classical school where I studied archaeology. I frequently inspected the land, which was partly cultivated with old vines and which would become the heart of Montecariano, and while walking in the countryside I searched for the leading theme from which this long adventure would start, deciding on the destiny of those twenty-seven hectares of property. I feel a strong bond with the roots of lost civilizations and the modern history of Valpolicella, where growing vines is the boss. I am convinced that wine cannot exclude the strong characteristics of uniqueness, identity and naturalness that the territory has. Over the years, and certainly not by chance, there has been an inversion of tendency, many farmers are returning to the soil because they can see that the recovery of our roots is a concrete alternative for the future".

SUSTAINABILITY

Montecariano applies "integrated production" technique. The main goal of this method is to obtain high quality products as well as the protection and the improvement of agricultural and anthropical environment. Integrated production is an agricultural production management system that involves the entire production process: the correct choice of implant techniques (in case of the renewal of the vineyard) fertilization, pruning, management of the foliage, the crop protection and harvesting. This production process is managed as "unique" during which the different phases are integrated and influenced by each other.

Nutrition: The nutritional supplements are monitored annually thank to detailed analysis of soils, from the examination of yield and the pattern of vegetation. The fertilizers used are organic and mineral based on potassium and magnesium.

Soil fertility: The grassing keeps clean the soil from weeds and this brings oxygen and it avoids the use of herbicides.

Balance vegetative and productive: Winter pruning allows to preserve the linear development of woody vessels. While during the spring and the summer we provide the suckering and the thinning of the branches close to the cluster in order to facilitate aeration.

Drip irrigation: It’s usually used in case of emergency (when the weather is really dry).

Strategies of defense: We excluded many products which can be risky for the vineyard, by using bio-technology products. The defense by the two main pathogenic fungi, mildew and powdery mildew, is practiced through the mainly use of copper and sulfur.

Before the harvest: Timely pruning of the foliage in order to have the regular maturation of the grapes.