The Production Philosophy, our manifesto
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In the vineyard
We adopt a protocol of respect for the land and the plants we grow, aware that we are what we eat and drink, for this reason we always act with common sense.
Common sense is the ability to question oneself, to compare oneself with others and, last but not least, to always willingly accept the teachings that the vineyard and the soil teach us despite the difficulties that this entails. -
In the cellar
We vinify and process only our own grapes. Once the grapes are stored we proceed with separate vinification for each vineyard, finalizing the work to obtain the best expression of the musts.
We work with the seasons to ensure that the wines can evolve without rushing or rushing. Finally, we bottle the fruit, not only of a year's work, but of all the years of work, experiences and encounters that have brought us to that moment. -
In the bottle
When we can, before putting a reference on the market, we prefer longer bottle refinements. This is not always possible given the small quantities produced per reference, reminding everyone that Azienda Agricola is also a Company and not just Agricola. This does not mean betraying one's wines and therefore oneself, but sometimes seeking the best compromise between economic sustainability and valorization of the work done. Here too, common sense, comparison and continuous tastings show us the way to go.
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In company
Exchange, Comparison and Constant Fun.
We are passionate about what we do and wine for us is an end, the reason why we cultivate vines and soils. For the people who use it, it must be a means of meeting, exchange and fun.
In a word? Conviviality
Convivial
convivial (or convivale ) adj. [from the Latin convivialis and, more commonly, convivalis ]. – 1. letter. Of convivium, relating to banquets: a gathering c .; cheerfulness c .; convivial pleasures (Machiavelli); she was ... the arbiter of convivial elegance (D'Annunzio); convivial poems (Latin carmina convivalia ), songs with which the ancient Romans – according to a custom widespread among the Greeks – celebrated the deeds of their heroes during banquets. Convivial poems , title of a work by G. Pascoli (so called because some of the poems that compose it had been published in 1895 in the magazine Il Convito ). 2. extens., fig. Characterized by cheerfulness and lightheartedness; relaxed, non-demanding: a climate c. , a convivial conversation .
The Constant Variables, the documentary about Cantina la Smeralda
Where it all began
Cantina la Smeralda is an agricultural project that was born, initially, from the will of Walter Menaggia and subsequently collected and pursued by Eleonora and Luigi Menaggia, respectively second and third born. It was born as a project in 2008 and transformed into a Agricultural Company in 2017, in September 2020 the first bottles dressed with the wording "Cantina la Smeralda".
The name comes from Villa La Smeralda, a house purchased by our family in 1998, where we discovered a bottle of the 1972 vintage vinified by the first owners of the house and, indeed, of the La Smeralda winery.
The passion for growing vines and their fruits began in 2008 with personal winemaking, in search of a solid starting point to lay the foundations of what is now Cantina la Smeralda. More than 10 years of knowledge to better understand our potential and set up the Cantina.