"If you want lots of grapes for winemaking, then you have to make your vines suffer a bit. With challenge to the vine comes greatness of the fruit.  The organic production makes more than pure wine.  The competition from the vegetation makes the roots grow deep and strong so the fruit is more consistent in quality in good year and bad.  The soil is not naked, so the hot sun cannot dry it out deeply.  Then the grape is great and consistent in quality, and pure. At last, only the best grapes are destined for the cellar where they must be slowly and gently fermented and subtly barreled. When fermented in stone and only subtly oaked, the character (terrior) imparted by the soil to the grape is preserved.

Finally, then, one must be diligent in research to strive for continuous improvement of technique in both the vineyard and the cellars. Wine made in this way, when served with great food of similar virtue, makes a festive and perfect table for all the years of life.”

 



Toigo Fine Wines – The synthesis of science and tradition with respect for the land.  Certified organic production of premium estate bottle wines in the heart of Montepulciano, Italy’s historic wine production area that dates back to the Etruscan era. Select hand-picked grapes slowly fermented in stone casks at cool temperatures according to traditional methods that yield wines of unrivaled excellence. 

A Brief History  -  Enzo Toigo, retired worldwide Master Brewer with 40 years of fermentation experience in the great halls of Peroni and Heineken is father to Enrico Toigo, LIII Sommelier and Wine Maker. When Enzo retired, he was determined to extend his unparalleled fermentation experience in those great halls of stainless steel into a quest to produce equally notable wines in earthen stone vessels as they had been produced centuries ago.  Good fortune enabled Enzo and Enrico to acquire part of an old estate in the Cicolina production area just a few kilometers from the stone walls of Montepulciano’s medieval historic center.  The lands at Le Coste di Cicolina (the Coast of Cicolina) are blessed with two natural springs, and the land there has likely been inhabited since prehistoric times when the Etruscan’s ruled the region.  More recent habitation in the 1300’s led to the creation of the tiny monastery with a basement infirmary where inhabitants of the medieval village of Montepulciano were cared for during illness. 

With respect for that history, the little monastery was restored by Enzo and Enrico, and it’s now is home to a guest room above and the wine cellars below where the Toigo wines are carefully nurtured in stone fermentation vessels and oaken barrels.  Beside the source of water for irrigation, the vineyards at Le Coste di Cicolina are also ideal for the production of high quality grapes due to the challenging terrain and the character of the soils (terroir).  The farm is situated along a ridge at an elevation of 400 meters that enjoys a vast easterly exposure across the famous Val di Chiana. The position along the hillside offers ventilation that provides a natural defense against bacterial aggression and solar penetration of the vine canopies. Currently, the farm covers about 20 acres of vineyard and 5 acres of olive groves situated not as one single piece of land but on many small plots of land on steep inclines or on terraces which could not be farmed using machines but only by hand. 

The renovation of the land was a painstaking task borne out of love of the land and in respect for its terroir.  This is an ideal basis for the production of great wines, and combined with Enrico’s passion for wine this means that the quality of the wines improves constantly.  

With the same respect for the land, the entire winery has been converted to organic farming.  The farm is certified for organic production of olives, olive oil, and grapes by ICEA in Bologna, Italy in accordance with CEE2092/91.  ICEA (www.icea.info) is one of Eurpopes leading certification bodies that certifies firms with strong ethical, environmental, and social values.  CEE 2092/91 is the European Standard for organic production of agricultural products.  Organic Certification by ICEA is recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture.