Montemaggiore

In our vineyards, we're taking the next step beyond organics into biodynamic viticulture. With its focus on biodiversity, soil fertility, and harnessing nature's energy, we believe biodynamics brings strength, vitality and a unique sense of place to Montemaggiore wines.

Learning from the past

For centuries, civilizations have channeled the earth's natural energy to produce food and wine for the nuclear family. The 1920s, however, brought "industrial agriculture" where massive farms relied heavily on synthetic fertilizers and herbicides. An Austrian philosopher named Rudolf Steiner saw that land which previously grew the same crops year after year now had to rotate crops in order to avoid problems. Plants which formerly gathered their own nutrients and minerals from the earth now had become dependent on the chemical fertilizers. Seeking to rebalance the earth's delicate ecology, Steiner codified centuries-old peasant farming techniques into what today is known as biodynamic farming, or when applied specifically to grapes, biodynamic viticulture.

Wine with character

The primary goal of Montemaggiore has always been to produce elegant wines with a unique character from our own vineyards. When we first learned of biodynamic viticulture, we had a hunch it could help us create wines with a unique sense of place, tasting like no other, and filled with character. We sought the help of Alan York, a biodynamics expert whose remarkable practicality balances his abundant knowledge of all things horticultural. Coincidentally, the more we learned about biodynamics, the more Vincent recognized and understood the farming techniques his father brought over from Montemaggiore, Italy.

As we move toward biodynamic certification, we are confident our wines will be the best they can be because biodynamics:

emphasizes composting and biodiversity in order to promote vine health, thus developing more character in our grapes and wine. Special herbal preparations applied to the soil and grapevines act like vitamins, bringing vitality to the wine's aroma and texture.

encourages our vineyard's individuality by minimizing outside influences and recycling all estate and winemaking residues (e.g., grape stems, skins, seeds, wastewater) back into the vineyards.

utilizes no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Reliance on these chemicals reduces the vine's natural ability to absorb nutrients from the soil. Over time, chemicals kill important biological life in the soil and have unintended side effects on the environment.

Wave of the future

The Ciolino family has always thrived by blending innovation with traditional values, and biodynamics is certainly a big part of that. We see biodynamics becoming more prevalent among leading winegrowers because the quality it brings to the wine is remarkable, and highly coveted by wine connoisseurs.