It goes without saying that a core element of winemaking is about the people who take their time to pursue the art of crafting delicious wines. These artisans are worth their weight in gold. Even more so, when you come across a producer that spends his time restoring forgotten, abandoned old vineyards.
Step forward Jacopo Stigliano. Originally from Bologna, this young winemaker spent time plying his trade as a sommelier covering Northern Italy, before returning home to begin his winemaking adventure in 2018. Having bought some land, he set about restoring a collection of plots of old vines in the hope of bringing a new energy to the region of Valsamoggia, a picturesque valley between Bologna and Modena.
Today, Jacopo farms around 3ha of old vines, some close to one hundred years old, planted over limestone and clay between 200-300m above sea level. He works with a raft of field varieties, close to twenty in total, representing an open-air library of grapes. Some have ancient origins, and they share the vineyards with beautiful cherry and walnut trees. Sustainable agriculture and organic farming principles run through his approach, where he looks to encourage a natural, thriving ecosystem. His belief is each grape brings harmony to the three field blends he produces, adding richness and complexity to the wines.
In addition, Jacopo has a newly created collaborative project, called Samodia, which was formed in 2023 with his friend Flavio Restani. This 3ha project has a goal to restore life to vines in danger of fading away, almost five hundred metres above sea level in the highest hills of Valsamoggia. From the vines comes two excellent value table wines which are made to create a real sense of place.
All grapes are harvested, fermented and aged together, paying respect to the Italian tradition of the field blend, and in the cantina his work is simple. The wines are bottled unfiltered, with nothing added at any stage, proving that things don't have to be overly complicated.
There is a lovely honesty to his wines which are rooted in care and appreciation of varieties that without his stewardship would be forgotten. These wines are wonderfully easy drinking, despite the complexities and nuance of the field blend style. They are approachable, thought-provoking and enjoyable across what is a diverse range.
