Our Philosophy

 

A great encapsulation of our approach is the manifesto that is the movement of Slow Food & Wine (we are included in their 2024 Slow Wine Guide). The aim of this movement is to transform the wine sector by adopting sustainable techniques, promoting inclusivity, and celebrating the diverse cultures that are inherent in wine and vine making. Within the manifesto, which Giornata follows, wineries may not use chemically synthesized fertilisers, herbicides, or anti-botrytis fungicides. A conscious and sustainable approach to the use of environmental resources in winemaking must be applied. Permitted levels of sulphites should not exceed the limits listed under the European Union’s regulations for organic wine. The winery should actively engage and collaborate with the entire surrounding farming community in order to strengthen and enhance the agricultural system of the area. The encouragement of biodiversity is central to the manifesto, with practices such as alternating vineyards with hedges and wooded areas; soil management practices that include grass and green manure and exclude, where possible bare soil.

 

 

In The Vineyard

At Giornata's estate vineyard ,the farming practices are a mixture of organic, biodynamic and regenerative methods. While not formally certified, we are committed to working as sustainably as possible. There are sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and turkeys on the property which are used for compost, insect control and mowing. The vineyard is irrigated with recycled water from the winery. Green fertilizers are used in moderation with young plants to supplement the compost. Fungicides are certified organic if needed during the growing season.

We also source from multiple vineyards, which all follow sustainable, organic, or biodynamic rules.

In the Cellar

Our winemaking style leans more Italian than Californian in that we favor wines with balance and subtlety rather than intensity and extraction. We pick our grapes at lower sugar levels and handle our must gently in the cellar, thus resulting in wines that belong on the Italian dinner table possessing both ample acidity and tannin. We try to be as hands off as much as we can with our wine, to let it shine. We only use native yeast and do no use any additives to our wines, except for minimal amounts of sulfur for stability. Our wines are ripe for aging, but always ready to drink now!