Winery of the Month: Bindella
The Vallocaia estate is located on Via delle Tre Berte, in the beautiful countryside that leads to S.Albino and to the historic center of Montepulciano: a great location for the production of Vino Nobile, in a striking surrounding for all lovers of Tuscan landscapes. The estate is the hub of the Bindella farm, a label that focuses on the quality of the production of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, by fully respecting the tradition.
A tradition understood and respected by Bindella family, which, despite being native of Switzerland, has appreciated this territory and its peculiarities for years. Rudi Bindella is the current owner of the company, he is member of a family that has dealt with wine for three generations: the Bindella have been engaged in the importation of wine in the restaurant business since the early 19th Century in Switzerland, when the founders were importing the typical Tuscan bottle of Chianti. From being a small company, it has evolved since then into an important structure, which distributes in Switzerland some of the most important wineries of Italy and it manages 40 restaurants.
Rudi Bindella thought the production of wine could stay beside the classic family business, thanks to his love for Tuscany and Montepulciano. In 1983, he bought the first parcel of the farm, the farm Vallocaia di Sotto: it was made of two hectares of vineyard, belonging to an estate that was already producing Vino Nobile, property of Gamberucci family, in the prestigious area of Argiano. From those early hectares began the production of Bindella brand, with the first vintage of 1985 put on the market in 1988, and a steady business growth driven by the pursuit of quality.
Over the years, the company has taken shape, acquiring other vineyards in new areas, up to four different production areas: Vallocaia (Argiano area), Camparone (Cervognano area), Fosso Lupaio (Fontelellera area) and Santa Maria (Sanguineto area), each with its terrain characteristics which lead to different ways of processing and various types of wine. Thirty years of corporate growth has allowed Bindella to reach 41 hectares of vineyards for the production of approximately 150.000 bottles per year.
In addition to the owner, another leading figure in the company is Giovanni Capuano, an expert agronomist who has been working for Bindella since 1998; since 2003, he is in charge of the complete production process and he became director of Vallocaia estate in 2006. So, to guarantee the future of the company, beside the succession of generations in Bindella family, there are 15 years of Giovanni’s leadership, who knows every type of soil and each vineyard. Joining him, there is a team of professionals who takes care of the commercial and administrative side, the reception and the phase of the vinification process. It’s one of the team, Enrico, who takes me on a visit to the cellars and who tells me the story of the company.
“We are expanding – He tells me – We are building the new underground cellar, and we’re going to transform the place where we are now. The first floor will be used as a restaurant, in the actual tasting room. The new facility will host the winemaking, and it will be developed in width to use short and wide vats, so to have better extractions. In the future, we plan to connect the various buildings to the old farm Vallocaia, which is the heart of the company”.
The wines produced by the company are many, but the heart is represented by Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, on which they concentrate the productive efforts. “Bindella” is the classic Vino Nobile, the most representative label, obtained through the assembly of parcels distributed on sandy areas, close to the way Vino Nobile was produced in these areas during ancient times; it is the most historical, elegant, and traditional interpretation and it respects the historical blend of grapes, Sangiovese, Colorino, Canaiolo and Mammolo. Then, there is the Vino Nobile “I Quadri”, composed entirely of Sangiovese grown on clay soil, which leads to a more powerful wine, with a vast and enveloping style. Finally, the Vino Nobile Riserva “Vallocaia” produced from plants grown in the best locations of sandy areas, produced only in the best vintages. Together with these wines, there are Rosso di Montepulciano “Fossolupaio”, the White IGT “Gemella”, Syrah IGT “Ardore”, Cabernet Sauvignon IGT “Gioia”, Merlot IGT “Antenata” and the extra virgin olive oil. The production is completed with two types of Vinsanto DOC “Dolce Sinfonia” and “Occhio di Pernice” and two types of Grappa di Vino Nobile, “Vallocaia” and “Oro”.
“Among the main markets there is definitely Switzerland: Bindella family takes care of distribution and catering in Switzerland, so half of our production is sold there. But we work a lot in Italy as well. Expanding is in our plans, we are pursuing a big commercial expansion activity in countries like Germany, USA, UK and Japan, which considered typical markets for Vino Nobile”.
As for the reception, Bindella offers tours and tastings, with a bit of typical products on request. The part on the reception is always open, every day and all year round, available for visitors interested in knowing the making of Vino Nobile in detail. In the future, it will be a more and more important sector, thanks to the new winery and the restaurant.
“The promotional activities of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile is excellent; all that can be done, we have been already doing it. We have a huge potential, linked to the strength of the brand and to the international image of Tuscany. This territory is made by companies: the more companies invest in quality, research and development and promotion, the more the territory benefits on economic terms as well. Our generation, which will deal with these companies and this territory in the next thirty years, must invest in quality”.
(For visits and information: Via delle Tre Berte 10 / A, Montepulciano (SI) – Telephone: +39 0578 767 777 – website: www.bindella.it)
