Tuscia is ready for a return to the future

A tour of Tuscia showed that a more sustainable approach to the land is possible and, perhaps, obligatory. A return to the ancient with modern knowledge.

In mid-January we were able to see a glimpse of new trends in approaches to agricultural practices in Tuscia; indeed, more than new trends an ancient practice: not intensive and serial, but organic-biodynamic-sustainable, natural and, above all, without ideological fanaticism. The hope is that this practice will spread more and more. 

From this tour - organized by Carlo Zucchetti, host and profound connoisseur of local excellence - I brought back the certainty that a new philosophy governing the relationship with nature is possible; a return to the ancient conception of land management is urgently needed, abandoning the philosophy of hit and run, of exploitation aimed at maximum profit: these are conceptions that lead to the destruction of the earth!

Regaining a restoration of natural balances, achieved painstakingly after years, gives hope that there is still time for mankind to stop this dastardly rush toward intensive exploitation, as if there were no tomorrow, in favor of a "Caesar's zone" recovery of a decent ecosystem.

S’Osteria 38

Tuscia is that territory wedged between Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria, and the centerpiece of the tour, spread over three intense days, was S'Osteria 38 in Acquapendente, a cooperative-run establishment located on the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route that connected Canterbury to Rome. And, precisely by following the ancient tradition of welcoming pilgrims, a project articulated between catering and hospitality for tourists and bucolic Sunday-goers has been developed.

It is a solidarity hub for many other local realities: products from companies sensitive to environmental sustainability are used here, and it is also a point of sale for those products. Elisa Calanca, an experienced and determined young woman, directs this facility where, at the same time, training activities are also carried out for people who experience particular fragility or come from a difficult past, and here they have the chance to start a virtuous path by also offering them job opportunities, actively participating in the management of the facility.
 

Pulicaro

The first stop, perhaps the most enlightening, the one that gave us the imprinting of the entire event, we made at the Pulicaro farm, a well-rounded farm dedicated to animal husbandry, the production of vegetables, grains and oil, and equipped with an agritourism where it mainly uses its own products.

It is located in Torre Alfina, between Orvieto and Lake Bolsena, and here Marco and Chiara Carbonara take care of about one hundred hectares of land and strictly observe the rotation of its use, both of those used for grazing and those intended for cultivation; the fertilization of the land is taken care of by the sheep that graze and the microorganisms in the soil perform the "miracle" of humus regeneration. The biodiversity of plants and wild grasses is an asset, and the sheep that eat the kissed olives left on the plant or on the ground will prevent the presence of the fly in the following year; the chickens that peck free and undisturbed, give more eggs, of superior quality, like their meat, and the more than fifty Maremma shepherds, dogs of strong size, serve not only to act as guides to the flocks of sheep, but are also a strong deterrent to the possible attacks of badgers, wolves, martens, etc.

Podere Orto

Giuliano Salesi and Simona de Vecchis in 2009 left the city and retired to live in the countryside, in Trevinano, near Acquapendente. Impressed by the enormous wealth of genetic material found in old vineyards planted in the 1970s around Acquapendente and Lake Bolsena, they made a mass selection and, with those scions, began planting their own vineyards, in the Orto locality; 4 hectares out of the 8.5 they own, at an altitude of 570-650 meters on the border with the Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve, about 3,000 hectares of woods, springs, streams, with flora and fauna rich in rare species. They follow biodynamic management, weeding is manual, fermentations are spontaneous and the wine is not filtered at bottling. The grape varieties selected and still grown are Procanico, Roscetto, Moscato Bianco, Grechetto, Verdello and Malvasia for the whites; Alicante, Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo and Grechetto Rosso for the red grape varieties. Despite being in a winter period, the vineyards have lush turf and rich varieties of grasses.

Valle Perlata

Located in Montefiascone, on Lake Bolsena, it raises Cinta Senese, Nero Casertano and Nero d'Abruzzo pigs in the wild on an immense estate, conducted organically.

Fattoria di Alice

After a quick visit to the beautiful city of Viterbo, we went to Alice's Farm, which is an engine of social inclusion of the Cooperativa Fattorie Solidali: people in serious social difficulty can take training courses taught by experts-agronomists, psychologists, biologists-all qualified to work with psychiatric patients and find, then, employment in a very large garden, full of vegetables of all kinds and fruits, always strictly organically grown and disposed of on site or at outlets of some related facility.

Antonella Pacchiarotti

In only two and a half hectares of vineyards, at an altitude of 500 meters, conducted organically, overlooking Lake Bolsena, and with only one grape variety, Aleatico di Gradoli, Antonella manages to make the most of the aromatic characteristics of the grapes, adopting a very delicate cellar processing, and offers six pleasant labels. The cellar, while not highly functional but very atmospheric, is carved out of a tunnel carved into the tufa rock that descends to below the main square of Grotte di Castro.

Vigne del Patrimonio

When it was part of the Papal States, the current province of Viterbo was the "Province of the Patrimony of St. Peter." In Ischia di Castro, in the locality of Vepre, this small estate has a property with only 4.5 ha of vineyards, located at an altitude of 200-300 meters between Lake Bolsena and the sea. Run organically by Rosa and Michele Capece, it has proven suitable for producing grapes for sparkling wines and elegant reds. With three grape varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc, three classic method sparkling wines, one white wine and two red wines are produced.

Tenuta Radichino F.lli Pira

Also in Ischia di Castro is a 400-hectare estate used to raise small animals and grow cereal crops. Cheese and charcuterie lovers can elect it as their favorite Sunday destination-there is something for everyone!

Of the wines we tasted, the ones that impressed me the most follow. Click on the name to open the tab.

• Podere Orto, Lazio Bianco Trivium 2021
• Podere Orto, Lazio Rosso Trivium 2019
• Antonella Pacchiarotti, Lazio Rosso Cavarosso 2019
• Vigne del Patrimonio, Vino Spumante di Qualità Aladoro Brut 2014
• Vigne del Patrimonio, Lazio Rosso Vepre 2017

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