AREA
our vineyard
A GARDEN
of vineyards
The Isimbarda estate occupies an area of 36 hectares (approximately 90 acres) in the southernmost part of Lombardy between the municipalities of Santa Giuletta and Mornico Losana, in the province of Pavia.
Our vineyards are located at altitudes varying from 200m to 300m (650ft to 980ft). Their particular mesoclimate and excellent exposure provide the ideal growing conditions for the traditional wine varietals of the Oltrepò.
Isimbarda’s exceptionally beautiful natural setting makes it a most exclusive location, which is easily reached by driving on a cypress-lined road that winds leisurely over the hills.
The estate also has specifically equipped spaces for wine tastings in comfortable, elegant areas as well as rooms for conferences, seminars and meetings, suitable for private celebrations and corporate functions alike.
RESPECTING
tradition
The people of the Oltrepò zone are very aware of the fact that their land is part of one of the finest winemaking areas of Lombardy,
where vine-growing has very ancient roots. The Isimbarda estate
has not forgotten the lessons of tradition, and has indeed combined
them with the latest advances in modern wine-making.
Following an in-depth study of the characteristics of the local soil and microclimates, a number of sub-zones were identified; each one of them has different vegetation, exposure, and altitude, and is therefore suitable for the cultivation of different grape varieties. Red-grape vines – Barbera, Croatina, Uva Rara, Moradella (which are native of the Oltrepò) and Merlot – are cultivated in the sunnier, lower-altitude areas. At higher altitudes the principal wine variety of the Oltrepò Pavese – Pinot Noir – found its ideal habitat. The eastern slopes, where the difference between daytime and night-time temperatures is less extreme, are home to aromatic white-grape varieties: Rhine Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.
Our philosophy focuses on the production of top quality wines and therefore requires a rigorous control of vine yield, which is limited to under 2.5 kg (about 5.5 pounds) of grapes per vine.
The many vineyard management procedures required during the year (e.g. pruning in winter, canopy management in spring and summer) are carried out by diligent, skilled workers up to the time of the harvest, when only the grapes that display the right characteristics for making excellent wines are sent to the winery.
SWITCHING TO
organic farming
The year 2020 represents a milestone in a most ambitious project that the Isimbarda estate started in 2017: switching to organic farming.
Such a project cannot be undertaken anywhere; it was made possible by the fact that the Isimbarda estate’s soil is particularly suitable for organic farming.
With 2020 ends an important period of conversion, after which our first organic wines will be the protagonists of our story.
