Paterna, a small organic cooperative

This interesting cooperative in Valdarno is involved in wine, olive oil and other local products.

At the end of October, we spent a weekend in the rolling hills between Arezzo and Florence. Being restless by nature, when I can I try to get out and visit wineries. The only problem here, and the surrounding areas, was that there were so many good wineries to visit.

I consider myself to be a lucky person, especially when it comes to wine. One of my greatest strokes of luck is that of having Giuseppe Mazzocolin as a friend: a man of vineyards, of olive groves, of acquaintances and limitedness culture. Since he knew the area like the palm of his hand, I asked him which winery I should visit and his answer was simple: “Go to Paterna, you’ll like them and you’ll like their wines”.

Paterna is a small, 15-hectare farm cooperative with eight hectares of vineyards, five of olive groves and the rest vegetables. Everything they produce has for years been organically certified. I was met by Marco Noferi and Claudia Panichi and liked them immediately because they were authentic farmers with dirty hands and well-worn work clothes, offering true and genuine hospitality without any of the haughtiness that can be found elsewhere in Tuscany.

During our tour of the farm we spoke about the biggest problem we face today: climate change and the enormous unresolved repercussions it produces. This also affects the olive groves where the deadly olive tree disease, up until a few years ago limited to coastal areas, has made its appearance. As for the wine, here they for the most part cultivate Sangiovese but there are also vines of Canaiolo, Colorino, Ciliegiolo and Pugnitello. They take being organic very seriously here and have also leaned towards biodynamic methods. The equipment in the winery is truly basic: temperature controls for the stainless steel vats, glass-lined cement vats, used and very used barriques of different origins, given that they were gifts from winemaking friends.

Their olive oil production is also impressive and they are very proud of it, not only from an economic standpoint. And they get very cross when they see alleged extra-virgin olive oil being sold in supermarkets at less than half the cost of what they spend to make theirs. But one could write a book about this problem.

The cooperative also has an activity to produce lunches for local schools, which also employs disadvantaged people and this creates a virtuous cycle of involving local cultivation and products, good food and socially useful actions.

This is thus a truly lovely and authentic reality, committed to promoting the area, one that also produces good wine to pair with their food and oil. A special thanks to Giuseppe Mazzocolin for his fantastic advice.

Chianti Colli Aretini 2018

88/100 - € 12 

A blend of 90% Sangiovese with the rest composed of Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo that is the product of soft destemming and pressing, a very low level of sulfur, native yeasts, 8-10 days of fermentation, daily pumping over and maturing in stainless steel and glass-lined cement vats. The wine has a classic ruby color leaning towards garnet, an aroma of cherry that is not too ripe and a hint of spice. The mouthfeel is tannic, fresh and quite persistent.

Bottles produced: 20,000.

Vignanova Toscana Igt 2016 

91/100 - € 22

Mostly Sangiovese with a 3-5% addition of Valdarno Colorino, grown on the oldest vines and thus with particularly low yield (around 4,00kg/h). Soft destemming and pressing, long maceration (a minimum of 15 days) and matured in used barriques for a maximum of 18 months, followed by a year of bottle aging. A dark, ruby color with bright reflections, an aroma of very ripe cherry and wild berries and a full-bodied yet flowing mouthfeel that is fresh and pleasingly flavorful with a nice persistence.

Bottles produced: 2,000.

PugniRosso Toscana Igt 2018 

90/100 - € 18

Only Pugnitello grapes from a single, 7,000sqm vineyard, a native varietal that is difficult to work and has a particularly low yield. The wine ferments in open barriques and matures in glass-lined cement vats. The color is very dark and has bright reflections while the complex aroma has notes of fruit, dried flowers and spice with balsamic hints. The mouthfeel is bold with its high alcohol content (15%) nicely upheld by an excellent acidity creating a rewarding drop.

Bottles produced: 1,000.

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