Winery of the month: Casale Daviddi

The cellar of Azienda Casale Daviddi can be found in Montepulciano Stazione, down the road called ‘di Nottola’ that connects the fraction to the historical center of the town. Today we’re talking about a very old family-run business, whose tradition has been passed down from father to son and, eventually, became the main economic activity of the family.

The story of this cellar is tightly tied to that of the Daviddi family: the first piece of information about them dates back to the half of XIX century and concerns Giustino Daviddi, the grand-grandfather of the current owner. Back then, the lands owned by the farm in the surroundings of Valiano were used in part for crop farming, in part for vineyards and in part to rear cattle. The family cared a lot for their properties, as proved by a 19th century vise displayed in their shop, a real piece of history kept with great care. Later, the family moved to Montepulciano Stazione, where the current owner Aldimaro Daviddi started the Casale Daviddi farm. In 1987, for the first time he decided to sell his wine using his own brand, producing 5.000 bottles of Rosso di Montepulciano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Since then, the business has developed quickly, because the family had always been producing wine, even if they had never bottled it. The reasons behind such a growth lie deeper into the past, as testified by a family crest kept in the office, which proves their presence in Florence around 1450, before they moved to Montepulciano.

Maurizio guides me during my tour of Casale Daviddi: he takes care of the reception and of the marketing. He tells me that Casale Daviddi, during the last few years, has increased the hectares cultivated with vineyards: today they have 20, spread throughout the DOCG Montepulciano territory in the fractions Gracciano, Valiano, Abbadia, Montepulciano and Acquaviva. Through the years, they abandoned crop farming and cattle to focus on winemaking. Their vineyards are mostly sangiovese with small quantities of canaiolo and mammolo, cultivated on rocky terrains rich in clay; the malvasia, trebbiano and grechetto grapes are used to produce their multiple prize-winning Vinsanto, a real gem.

Maurizio has been working at the farm since 2001, after he met his wife, Aldimaro’s daughter. He moved to Montepulciano, where he worked as a typographer and a graphic designer, and later he began to take care of the land and to take specialized courses. In Montalcino he attended the Scuola della Vite e del Vino (School of Vine and Wine) which gave him the chance to work for big wine producers. It was at Casale Daviddi that he was trained to take care of the vineyards. Since 2003 he has taken over the administrative and marketing duties, with benefits for the farm and for himself.

Casale Daviddi, at the beginning in 1987, had its cellars in Via di Nottola, but only a part of the production took place there, on the fringes of Montepulciano Stazione: most of it actually happened in the fraction Abbadia. In 2003, after some works to enlarge the building in Via di Nottola were completed, the whole production, from fermentation to sales, was moved to Montepulciano Stazione.

“Actually, we’d need a larger structure, right now – Maurizio confesses – because there’s been an increase both in sales and production”

Along with demand, it has grown the desire of the guests to visit the cellars and the places where Vino Nobile is produced. Visitors can tour the nearby vineyards, explore the cellars and taste the products of the farm. Through the years, many people have visited Casale Daviddi:

“We get most of the visits from Easter to September. Our street connects the highway exit to the historical center of Montepulciano, so it’s easy to find us, and many people interested in Vino Nobile travels by it.”

The production of Casale Daviddi counts about 100.000 bottles per year, subdivided in a wide range of wines. The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the Riserva and the Rosso di Montepulciano are the three main products; then, there’s the Tuscan Red IGT “Il Bosco” and the Chianti Colli Senesi IGT “Cainozza”, which takes its name form the vineyard used to produce it. There’s also the white wine “I Moschettieri”, dedicated to the four nephews of Aldimaro, and the rosé “La Perla”. Last but not least, the grappa of Vino Nobile marcs.

The Vinsanto of Casale Daviddi “Il Caratello”, as I mentioned earlier, has won several awards: it undergoes a careful selection and it’s left to ferment in specific 100L ‘caratelli’, made of chestnut or oak wood, for at least 36 months. Another special mention is owed to their Extra-virgin Olive Oil, a high-quality product that features local varieties such as leccino, frantoio and moraiolo, whose olives are harvested by hand in November.

Talking about international distribution, Casale Daviddi has developed relationships with most of the european markets, United States, Japan, China and Singapore. Their products can be found in most european countries, thanks to the thorough work of Consorzio del Vino Nobile and Strada del Vino Nobile, which allows the farm to partecipate in big promotional events.

“We want to be more and more open to Europe – Maurizio says – through a marketing strategy focused on the Vino Nobile brand and on our own farm. I think it would be great if more farms could partecipate in the events of the Consorzio that are making the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano known all around the world”.

(For tours and informations: Via di Nottola 9, Montepulciano Stazione (SI) – E-mail: info@casaledaviddi.it – Tel: +39 0578 738257 – website: www.casaledaviddi.it)