Collection: Podere Sottoilnoce

Castelvetro di Modena, Emilia-Romagna - 6.5ha. under vine - Biodynamic viticulture

Growing up as the son of a doctor in Milan, Max followed a relatively conventional path, working in industry for American and British companies. Yet his grandparents on both sides came from farming backgrounds, one side in Piedmont, the other in Emilia-Romagna. This connection was always evident to him, and he stayed connected primarily through drinking wine. Eventually, this passion took over completely and he asked the question many of us ask ourselves: what if he made wine, and what sort of wine would it be? Max already knew that biodynamic viticulture was his direction, so he first studied. Then it was about the place. His wife is from Modena, so the surrounding hills made sense for his family. Purchasing 11 hectares, 6.5 under vine, with the remainder made up of forests, lakes and wild flowers for his bees, he decided to make the wine style of the region in the style he liked. The following five years have seen constant experimentation with vinification in ceramics, steel and glass. All the varieties used are from the region, with some very nearly extinct. These are elegant, very fine wines, with more of a focus on Champagne-style sparkling wine, using frozen must for secondary fermentation. All the sparkling wines are between 1.8 and 2 bar.