Poggio Bbaranèllo Lisa

You can achieve anything with passion and dedication. Silvia and Lisa, the young couple who give their all to bring the Poggio Bbaranèllo to life on a daily basis, are no strangers to this idea.

The 4.4 hectare estate in the north of Lazio, in Montefiasco (central Italy), is owned by Silvia’s family. Although she had always been interested in wine and had been encouraged to train as a sommelier, she wasn’t sure about winemaking; however, her girlfriend Lisa was the final push she needed to embark on this adventure. That happened between 2014 and 2015. Today, Poggio Bbaranèllo is undoubtedly one of the most interesting wineries in the area.

Part of this interest comes from its crops, which are totally natural and biodynamic, planted on a hill overlooking Montefiascone (on one side) and the Argentario sea (on the other). Here, at an altitude of 436 metres, the vines (growing Procanico, Rossetto and Malvasia) grow facing the southwest, on sandy tuff soils, always without chemical products, trying to manually and naturally manage all the work and processes in the vineyard. In principle, all the burden falls on Lisa and Silvia. But they are not always alone, as at certain times they are assisted by local farmers and local people.

All this effort is translated into wines like Poggio Bbaranèllo Lisa, a sparkling wine made from Rossetto grapes (also known as Trebbiano). Poggio Bbaranèllo Lisa is harvested very early, first thing in the morning, in small boxes (no more than 18 kilos). This process is carried out in two phases: the first, where only 10% of the grapes are harvested to make a fermenting must; the second five days later, when they collect the rest of the grapes. This second batch is added to the initial must, which is already fermenting. The earlier steps to make the must, like crushing and pressing, are carried out very gently, leaving only 40% of the free-run juice (the first must made mostly by gravity). Poggio Bbaranèllo Lisa ferments and spends 9 months on its lees before bottling in the spring. Right at that moment, the second fermentation will begin, which takes place in the bottle, allowing the wine to rest for another 18 months before being released for sale. What a beautiful and wonderful way to take a risk!