Pianello, Umbria, Italy
Wines by Giovanni Battista Mesina
Varietals and key wines include; Vermentino, Ciliegiolo, Sangiovese, Vernaccia Rosa, Trebbiano
Giovanni is “Il pastore che fa il vino”, a third-generation shepherd who not only is “the shepherd who makes wine” but also delicious cheese and olive oil from ancient Umbrian trees protected by Unesco.
Originally from the Barbagia, the Mountain region of Sardinia, he moved to Umbria as a young child where he grew up and married Cosetta. Several years ago planted 3 hectares of grapes to make all indigenous varietals other than staying true to his roots and also planting Vermentino to make his first and cult natural wine the “Vermentuzzo”.
The sheep, trees and grapes are all farmed on organic soil in the elevated, rugged and mountainous central wine region of Umbria, Pianello.
At 300 metres above sea level, the organic soil is a mixture of marl coming from an ancient salt lake and limestone rock. Giovanni’s approach to winemaking is very ‘hands off’ and allows wild yeasts to ferment the wines, while using stainless tanks to preserve the purity of these wines. All wines are unfiltered and unfined with zero sulphites added even down to the labels that are made from the grass in winery, as Giovanni says “to capture the magical expression of the fruit and the earth”.
