Regenerative viticulture, a lesson from Librandi

For Librandi, one of the leading wineries in Calabria (around 200 hectares of vineyard and two million bottles per year, with a turnover of around 10 million, 40% of which is exported), biodiversity is above all in the vineyard. This is why for years the company has been working with leading national research institutes on a major research project on native Calabrian grape varieties. 'Over the years since '93 and then with subsequent initiatives undertaken in 2000 and 2014,' explains one of the co-owners of the winery, Paolo Librandi, 'we have carried out a project that today allows us to have a vineyard with 200 different varieties. Some have already entered the blends of our wines, others will do so in the future'.

Over time, the Librandi winery's project has involved the CNR of Turin, the University of Milan, the Cra of Conegliano Veneto and the Institute of San Michele all'Adige. "In particular," adds the producer, "we have involved Attilio Scienza of the University of Milan for the work of finding the varieties and the oenologist Donato Lanati for the oenological part.

But Librandi's focus on biodiversity has not stopped at the vineyard. "Over the last four years," adds Paolo Librandi, "we have started an important collaboration with Pierluigi Donna's Sata studio, which has led us to develop an in-depth programme on regenerative viticulture and the use of green manure. This work involves the use of different essences to encourage a good level of organic substance in the vineyards. We have experimented with field beans, white mustard, crimson clover and rapeseed. The use of melliferous varieties is also significantly increasing the presence of bees".