Foradori “Fontanasanta” Manzoni Bianco Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT ‘22

In the village of Mezzolombardo, in the Dolomites of northern Italy, Elisabetta Foradori somewhat reluctantly began managing her family’s estate after her father’s early passing. But eventually her role in the vineyards and the cellar became infused with a sense of passion and vocation, and her children Emilio, Theo, and Myrtha are all now integral to the estate. With practices including biodynamics (Foradori has been Demeter certified since 2009) and massale selection, and experiments with amphorae, Elisabetta has taken a holistic approach to making wines that are respectful of the soil and the local grapes, and she has gained recognition for her single-vineyard expressions of Teroldego.

This wine is made solely from the Manzoni Bianco grape, a crossing of Riesling Renano and Pinot Bianco, first developed in the 1930s, in the Veneto, by Luigi Manzoni. The vines are 15 to 35 years in age and are grown on five hectares of land in the Fontanasanta vineyard, in the Trento hills, around 400 meters above the city. The fruit is hand harvested and destemmed, and fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts. The wine is fermented on the skins in cement and stainless steel tanks for three to four days, followed by 7 months of aging in acacia wood casks. It is bottled without fining or filtration.