HOME ABOUT US IN THE COUNTRYSIDE PRODUCTS INCOMING WINE SHOP CONTACTS ITALIANO IN THE COUNTRYSIDE More than 10 years ago when we travelled the dirt road that leads to the Antica Quercia for the first time, we felt obliged to respect every single centimetre of this land. We felt so small beneath the Shade of the big Tree and we could only embrace a cultivation method that respects these trees. Growing grapes in this way is not easy, but it makes us happy. We have chosen organic growing because we feel it is the best choice, maybe we could give it another name, but what remains is our focus and the relationship we have created with the plants we have grown over the years. WE START PRUNING IN DECEMBER We start pruning in December. The vineyards sleep and a muffled silence surrounds them, a sacral calm interrupted now and then by the far barking of a dog or the bells of Scomigo church. Our hands move slowly in the cold and our words are encased in the cloud of condensation coming out of our dry lips. Silence. We are accompanied by the sound of shoots being cut, we select the two younger shoots for each arch, eight buds each, the spur at the base and… CIACK! GREEN MANURE The flower of the vetch is beautiful, it is reminiscent of a purple, almost fuchsia, small orchid. In spring we sit among the rows and we like to look for the arrival of the bees, attracted by the explosion of colourful flowers that we have sown for the green manure. Wild pea, clover, mustard, rapeseed, turnip rape and oats, a beautiful, captivating mix of scents and colours. Then these plants will be cut and buried when they are fully grown, in order to naturally provide the soil with nitrogen and nutrients that allow the vines to grow and live better. GLERA IS THE PROSECCO GRAPE It is the fruit of a generous plant that produces big, long bunches of golden grapes. It is considered as semi-aromatic due to the aromas it develops immediately in the must, before it turns into wine. It is an indigenous grape variety that has always existed between the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene hills, and is part of the culture of these places. There is an unbreakable bond between Glera and these hills, and this grape develops its finest qualities on these slopes. In the areas in which the soil is richer in limestone, the bunches are smaller and straggly and give rise to the most elegant bases. YEASTS Yeasts have been a much debated issue, maybe too much. We have our ideas: we do not claim they are the right ones, but we believe in them. We are increasingly using native yeasts in our musts, since they are naturally rich in the microbiological heritage which is part of our land, in order to interpret our terroir in the best possible way. Società Agricola L'Antica Quercia s.r.l. Via Cal di Sopra 8 - 31015 Scomigo di Conegliano (TV) - P.iva: 02488330263