Terre di Sovernaja
Terre di Sovernaja
About the winery
Terre di Sovernaja, located in the heart of Tuscany below the picturesque village of San Gimignano, is a farm run by owner Federico Montagnani with the help of winemaker Andrea Pizzolato. Both are good friends of ours. In the past, Terre di Sovernaja was known for their high-quality olive oil and saffron, but today Federico and Andrea produce clean natural wines that reflect the region's unique terroir.
RHYTHM OF NATURE
"For Terre di Sovernaja, my father and grandfather are my main sources of inspiration. They taught me the knowledge about the rhythms of nature. They taught me how to improve our land and preserve the authenticity and character of the grape in its place of origin."
Federico took over the century-old family business (founded in 1685) just a few years ago. He literally grew up among the vines, his dream as a child was to later produce his own wine. For this, his grandfather was his great inspiration and mentor.
Left photo: Federico's grandfather and great-grandfather with a 1948 "tractor.
TERRE DI SOVERNAJA
"Working in the hills of San Gimignano is a daily privilege. In the 9 hectares of vineyards at 300 meters above sea level (formerly called Terre di Sovernaja) I am developing a completely certified organic farming project. Here, in addition to producing grapes, oil and saffron, animals can live freely, creating an essential natural balance.
This long journey, built on experiences, studies and much research, led to the birth of my first label in 2017; exactly fifty years after my grandfather's first label. Ripe grapes, gentle pressing and aging in natural cement are the main characteristics of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the only DOCG white wine from Tuscany and Primo Bianco DOCG from Italy. My production of Vernaccia di San Gimignano is divided into two different varieties: Selection "Viti Sparse," which comes from the best grapes from the different vineyards and Riserva "Assola," produced from a single vineyard about half a century old."
VERDACCHIO
"In addition to Vernaccia di San Gimignano, I produce Vermentino and Verdacchio. Verdacchio is an ancient native vine, now completely gone except in my vineyard! In 2015, after performing a DNA test in collaboration with the university, we rediscovered a small but precious 120-year-old Verdacchio vineyard. With the 2019 vintage, I started producing the first 100% Verdacchio wines."
MY PHILOSOPHY
"Since 2010 I have been certified organic. By using green manure and a lot of internal resources, I try to be as self-sufficient as possible, creating a closed loop.
I believe that the balance of a plant depends solely on the balance that surrounds it and what it itself creates.
This is my philosophy.
I try to preserve as much as possible the character of the grapes in the cellar and try not to disturb what the earth has transferred to the fruit, to let it be reflected in the bottle.
I am currently producing 25,000 bottles for a total of 9 labels.
As of the 2022 harvest, I have even more vineyards dedicated to the production of Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
A dream becomes a reality when you can share it."
- Federico Montagnani
