Ampeleia, Costa Toscana Unlitro, 2023

Overlooking the medieval village of Roccatederighi, sits the estate of Ampeleia. Founded in 2002 by the living legend Elisabetta Foradori, and her two close friends Thomas Widmann, and Giovanni Podini, they saw in Ampeleia a place where they could not only develop an agricultural project and winery but also fulfill a common vision. They chose Maremma, Tuscany’s southern Coast. Instead of the coastal lowlands that everyone associates with Maremma, Elisabetta and Co. decided the mineral-rich hills of the Colline Metallifere, with its diversity of soils and climates, was the perfect spot to start this unique, groundbreaking project.

Ampeleia is truly collaborative. While overseen by Elisabetta, her namesake alpine estate takes up the bulk of her time. Ampeleia exists because of the hard work of a group of folks that share her vision and with great passion, dedicate their time and energy for the success and development of the project. Simona Spinelli has been managing the administrative and commercial aspects since the very beginning, while Marco Tait oversees all aspects linked to wine production. Their efforts are complimented by a dynamic and energetic group of young people who work together in an atmosphere of dialogue with the single purpose of unleashing the potential of this unique terroir.

The vineyards of Ampeleia have been planted and cultivated biodynamically since the beginning. A model of biodiversity, they are planted on three different levels of altitude varying from 200 to 600 meters above sea level – Ampeleia di Sopra (Upper Ampeleia), Ampeleia di Mezzo (Central Ampeleia) and Ampeleia di Sotto (Lower Ampeleia). Ampeleia includes a total of 150 hectares of which only 40 are planted with vines. The property slopes down towards the sea, nestled in a territory made of numerous plots of land, hidden among the lush vegetation, where earlier Etruscan settlers nourished the soil to grow grapes. Each vineyard was planted after in-depth research of the terroir of each site.

Variety is the soul of Ampeleia. In fact, variety represents the project’s constant quality, both physically and symbolically, and is harmoniously expressed in its wines that taste of the varied lands of the area around the village of Roccatederighi. Many of the grape varieties that have been planted in Ampeleia are common in Mediterranean farmlands. In past times, vineyards were not planted with just one grape variety but many types of grapes were present and they were all harvested at the same time. The vineyards at Ampeleia reflect this tradition. Winemaking is simple and driven by intuition, experience, and talent. Nothing is added or removed and all fermentation is spontaneous. Little intervention is necessary in the cellar when the vineyards and the fruit they produce are this balanced and healthy.

Each bottle of Ampeleia is its own little masterpiece. They represent the untapped potential of the hills of Maremma. They are delicious and joyful expressions filled with intense impressions of the Mediterranean. Focusing on the synergy between mankind and nature, they have realized Elisabatta Foradori’s vision of producing fresh and elegant Tuscan wines that are crystal clear expressions of their exceptional terroir.