OUR PIWIs TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENT - Sustainability beyond organic farming

Attention to sustainability and respect for the environment and mankind are very current topics and are dear to consumers who are increasingly attentive to the origin and nature of their purchases.

At Cantina Colli del Soligo, we want to represent and respect our territory and we are working towards an increasingly sustainable approach, which is why in 2020 we chose to plant two resistant vines, also known as PIWIs, which represent the pinnacle of green viticulture.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A PIWI WINE?

The term PIWI comes from the German “pilzwiderstandsfähig” and literally means “resistant to fungus”, which is why PIWI vines have a high resistance to fungal diseases and allow a significant reduction in chemical pesticide treatments, as well as water and CO2 emissions, with an overall benefit in terms of environmental sustainability.

Experiments to create a vine plant with low susceptibility to attack by the main diseases, cold and drought, began in the 1980s in Germany where Vitis Vinifera was crossed, through pollination, with American or Asian vines to obtain new varieties with the desired characteristics. Today, in the Italian National Register there are now 37 varieties corresponding to PIWI vines registered for the possibility of producing wine and each of them represents a new taste experience. The increase in these numbers is an expression of how interesting PIWI varieties are as a possible opportunity to make viticulture more sustainable.

Cantina Colli del Soligo: two labels, a common history

Our Johanniter and Souvignier Gris grapes are grown not far from Treviso, in the town of Arcade, and this is where the history of our labels begins.

In Greek mythology, Arcade was the son of Zeus and the Nymph Callisto, whom Hera, Zeus' wife, transformed into a bear. During a hunting trip, Arcade risked killing his own mother as he did not recognise her because of her animal-like appearance. Zeus decided to transform them both into constellations: Callisto became Ursa Major and Arcade Became Ursa Minor.

This reveals the reason for the presence of constellations on our labels where the city of Arcade, home to our PIWI vineyards, is depicted in its celestial version and not explicitly named. Astronomy and the observation of the celestial vault and the moon have always been at the heart of agriculture and wine culture; for this reason, the vineyards are depicted on the labels overlooked by a sky at sunset that unconsciously recalls the natural propensity of resistant vines to respect the land and its inhabitants.

100% RECOGNISED EXCELLENCE

Two consecutive years on the roof of Italy

Johanniter, which we offer in the Spumante Brut Nature version, is a white grape variety created by crossing the Riesling and Freiburg 589-54 varieties.
The wine undergoes a 7-month frothing process that makes it elegant and sumptuous. The bouquet is intense and articulate with tropical notes of mango and papaya, aromas of pear, plum and apricot and citrusy hints of mandarin and lychee. Blilliant golden yellow in colour, the taste is dry, fresh and sapid with a citrusy after-taste.

Produced and marketed since 2021, our Johanniter immediately distinguished itself internationally thanks to the 93 points it received from the PIWI International Wine Challenge jury, which earned it the title of best Italian sparkling wine from resistant grapes. In 2022, its excellence earned it the GRANDE ORO* medal, making it the international leader in the sparkling wine category: 97 points that fill us with pride and encourage us to work and improve with an ever-increasing focus on sustainability.

Souvignier Gris is a resistant white grape variety born from a cross between the Seyval and Zahringer varieties. Its grapes are harvested at the beginning of September and then macerated on their skins for five days, after which they are fermented in steel. 30% of this matures in new mixed-wood barrels for six months. After blending, the wine is filtered, bottled and left to rest for at least two months before consumption.

Golden yellow in colour, Souvignier Gris offers aromas of sweet spices such as vanilla, cloves and licorice, accompanied by citrusy hints of citron and lemon against a quince background. The taste is dry, warm and enveloping, and leaves the consumer with a spicy finish.

For Souvignier Gris too, there has been no lack of international satisfaction: 3 silver medals in two years**!

_{* PIWI WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL 2022}

_{** PIWI INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2022/2021, PIWI WINE AWAARD INTERNATIONAL 2022}

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