Wine Research Team

Biodiversity through Precision Agriculture and sanitation of the wine making process.

It's a revolutionary project started by professor Riccardo Cotarella, an internationally renowned winemaker and his team of experts, called the "sanificatori", made up of prof. Fabio Mencarelli (nutrition technology), prof. Riccardo Valentini (climatologist), and Dr. Cesare Catelli (biologist). Twenty-six wineries (*) assembled a team of wine producers who have submitted their wines at the convention at the Hotel Rome Cavalieri last May 16.

The project involves the prospect of producing quality wine without the use of sulfur dioxide. The scientific process is based on the sanitation of the grapes throughout all steps of the wine making process. 

Professor Cotarella states: "Controlling the microorganisms is the recipe for a long-lived wine that has a pleasant taste and is rich in natural scents, without having to add sulfites or any other additives to ensure antibacterial and antioxidant action in the early stages of the fermentation as well as during the aging process of the wine."

The team presented its "regatta strategy."The "regatta course" is the ground on which the screws are implanted.

In order to decide on the correct exposure of the vineyard, the team has previously  been analyzing and studying all climatic phenomena, the movement of air currents as well as all the information coming from the surrounding nature.

Professor Valentini calls this project "Precision Agriculture": 

"All of this is essential if we want to produce wholesome grapes, in limited quantities and of excellent quality without having to resort to the use of synthetic chemistry."

Once in the winery, the grapes are subjected to a scientific control of microorganisms before moving to the pressing process.

Of fundamental importance are the processes of stabilizing the grapes, and alternating temperatures, in a meticulously clean, almost sterile environment. All of this is done to inactivate the harmful bacteria, thus optimizing the fermentation phase. Afterwards, the wine is led to age in casks and bottles, without the use of any antibiotic or antioxidant substances.

A very important detail is the choice of the bottle cap. The Portuguese company Amorim has produced a cork of excellence, designed exclusively for these wines. Before use, each cap is examined individually to ensure the destruction of the bacterial load in the cork and the osmotic exchange between the external environment and the wine in the bottle.

The logo that will identify the Wine Research Team, and that will be present on all of its bottles, is the image of the sail. It is a symbol representing the unity of ideas, the communion of forces, as well as team spirit, a guarantee for victory for the entire winery team.

For the Wine Research Team Convention, the twenty-six wineries have presented all their wines for tasting, to make the attendees participate in the ambitious biodiversity project , even if the wines were still too immature to drink.

I tasted a different variety of wines, among them Nero Buono, Aglianico, Sangiovese, Sagrantino, aged for only six months. I felt the roughness in my mouth and the astringency of tannins, but above all the fantastic explosion of natural, still vinous aromas of freshly picked, red fruit. I felt a strong and exciting sensory emotion.

The wines came from different Italian regions, all being an expression of their territory of origin, or the result of experimental research: such as the wine from the cellar "La Madeleine", owned by Mr. and Mrs. D'Alema, who in collaboration with the University of Perugia, are producing a Cabernet Franc in purity with the prerequisites and expectations of a high quality wine.

A highly experienced “skipper” leads a team of twenty-six cellars, united by one single goal and one single thought: to make natural wines of excellent quality with intense aromas and a "crispy" taste. 

I can only wish a "good wind" for the boat of the Wine Research Team and wait at the finishing line to taste the wines once they have completed their maturation.

Rome, may 25, 2013

dott. Bartolomeo Roberto Lepori

Association of Journalists - Rome 

Card no. 137270 

Professional Sommelier A.I.S. 

Italian Sommelier Association

Card no. 112666 

E-mail: roberto.lepori @ mac.com              

roberto.lepori @ goldtv.it 

PEC: bartolomeo_roberto.lepori@cert.odg.roma.it

Mobile: +39.3346981515

http://robertolepori.blogspot.it

 (*) Allegrini, Carvinea, Castello di Cigognola, Colpetrone, Coppo, Di Majo Norante, Domaine du Comte de Thun, Falesco, Fattoria del Cerro, I Greco, La Guardiese, La Madeleine, La Murola, La Poderina, Leone de Castris, Poggio le Volpi, Poggio San Polo, San Patrignano, San Salvatore, Tenuta dell’Arbiola, Tenuta di Frassineto, Terre Cortesi Moncaro, Terre della Custodia, Trequanda, Villa Matilde, Villa Medoro.