Sommelier: When wine is not just catering.
Welcome back to our blog. Today we propose you the interview we made days ago with the export manager of the Torrimpietra winery, Mr. Christian Lindgren.
Sommelier A.I.S of Danish origin, Lindgren is a man of few words but opens up with joy when it comes to tell us about his work and the wines he presents daily to all visitors of the wine estate. He warmly welcomes us on a harvesting day and immediately puts us at ease by treating us to a beautiful visit to the estate followed by a pleasant wine tasting accompanied by local products.
Q: Mr. Lindgren,thank you for this interview. Can you tell us a bit about Torre in Pietra wine Estate?
A: The estate is located in the Municipality of Fiumicino, along via Aurelia, in the borough of Torrimpietra. It is an estate with a centuries-old history, that from the Middle Ages arrives to the present day, passing through illustrious owners including one pope , Sixtus V (1585 – 1590) who bought it for his sister Camilla and a Senator ,Director and co-owner of Corriere della Sera, Mr Luigi Albertini (1900 – 1921) who acquired it in 1926 and whose heirs are still at the helm. In total it extends over 150 hectares, 52 of which are dedicated to vineyards which are organically managed. The wines that are produced here are part of the wine appellations “Doc Roma” and “Igt LAZIO”.
Q: Regarding wines, what types of wines do you produce here and what characteristics do they have?
A: The wines we produce are 11 including 4 types of reds, 5 types of whites, 1 sparkling and
1 rosè wine. The grapes used are the typical grapes of the Lazio region, such as the Cesanese and the Montepulciano for the reds, and the Malvasia puntinata, the Trebbiano and the Vermentino for the whites. The characteristic of our wines is that of being direct and easy to drink. These wines perfectly reflect the Lazio territory, having a good body ,soft tannins and balanced acidity .Above all it is important to mention that are wines awarded in various international competitions, as best organic products, and this makes them, as genuine as possible.
Q: What does it mean, in short, to produce organic wines?
A: The company has received the organic management certification at the beginning of 2000 and since then we only use our local grapes that we cultivate without using genetically modified organisms, or chemical additives such as herbicides, pesticides or insecticides. The use of sulfur dioxide, (the famous sulphites that you find on the label) is reduced to the bare minimum and the attention and care that we dedicate to each individual vineyard, is our way of preventing any damage to the grape ; as a result we produce healthy wines.
Q: Can you briefly explain what it means to produce Doc wines and what does it imply?
A: Making DOC wines means having to stick to a specific law .Putting it simple, it means that wine production must comply with specific rules,such as the type of grape used, the quantity and the area of origin of the grape itself.
Since you also produce IGT wines in addition to DOC, can you tell us what difference there is between the various denominations?
A: The differences are in the rules governing production ; IGT is more flexible and must indicate only the area in which the wines are produced. The DOC, as mentioned above ,has stricter rules and even more complicated is the production of DOCG wines which is the top appellation. To simplify, the more the denomination increases, the more the production parameters are high. It is important to know that a high or low denomination,does not mean that one wine is better than another. Often the “titles” are given or requested, for market reasons, or to maintain or protect the typicality of the territory itself, and to avoid confusion between the various areas.
Mr. Lindgren, given your profession and your constant travels abroad, can you tell us how our wines are viewed and what the consumer likes now?
A: Italian wines are very popular abroad especially red ones but we are witnessing an increasing, interest for other products like the Prosecco and rosè wine. I can also say that the demand for typical wines produced in specific territory, is increasing as well. As a Company we have noticed this new trend, and I can say ,that varieties such as Malvasia, Fiano or Cesanese are getting discovered. Organic wines are also a top choice at the moment because this is what consumers are very much interested in drinking.
Q: Last question, which market are you targeting and how can our readers visit the estate?
A: The Lazio market is our main market but we are also gaining attention abroad where the native vines begin to be discovered and enhanced as expllined. You can visit the estate in a specific days and you can booking the visit through VineblissTrip.com, if willing to have a more dedicated experience and wine tasting. We are all looking forward to presenting our products.
Spending a morning in the countryside, visiting a beautiful estate, tasting organic wines and local products is perhaps one of the most pleasant excursions to get to know new places, both for families and friends. We hope we have given you an idea for your free time.
Happy tasting !