ALTURA - Wineyard on Isola del Giglio - Tuscan Archipelago

“Steadfast, pioneering, unwavering—like seeds in the field.”

The idea.

Our work on Giglio comes from living here, from gratitude like a gift freely given, devoted to a “virtue of love so gentle” for the vine, for life, for the island that carries us beyond bitterness, hardship, discord, and weariness.

We recover, rediscover, cultivate not just for our own pleasure, but to send a strong message, breaking AWAY from the grip of monoculture, market logic, short-term profit, real estate and tourism speculation emotional desertification, depopulation. And so we began, the first on the island, in 1999.

Then came kilometers of dry stone walls, toil and beauty, our contribution, the labor of our own hands. And with it, the land restored, protection, care—sometimes met with scorn. Then biodiversity, preservation, ancient vines, native roots, extinction. Endless labor, boundless satisfaction. Envy, respect, and heavy weights on our backs. And still, we’re here.

“Steadfast, unwavering pioneers like seeds that persevere.”

"Il Giglio magico ed eroico di Francesco Carfagna, il cantastorie delle vigne"
F. Taddia - Repubblica Maggio 2021

The work.

Our family acquired around three hectares of abandoned vineyard cleared and uprooted invasive shrubs, rebuilt thousands of feet of dry stone walls and water channels, all while tilling the soil, planting rootstocks, and grafting them in the field with native germplasm, cultivating head-trained bush vines.

Arduous and demanding, entirely manual, deeply valued where it still exists, yet so difficult to practice—some call our viticulture “heroic”, like the symphony. And like a symphony, as Pino Donaggio used to sing: “Io sogno d’esserti vicino”—“I dream of being close to you"...

“The work.”

The grape.

Ansonaco is the traditional name of the most widespread vine on Isola del Giglio deeply rooted and cultivated here for generations, known as the “Ansonica” grape.

Terraces and massive rocks everywhere. Drought, relentless winds, and a scorching sun in every season. Salt-laden air, minerals, a soil mostly sandy and acidic. Roots pushing deep beneath the rocks, slipping into fissures in search of nourishment and coolness. Low vineyards, low yields, everything worked and harvested by hand. Indigenous varieties.

Ansonaco’s distinct character has formed over centuries, shaped by natural selection and generations of growers who refined the varieties best suited to thrive in this land, so beautiful and unforgiving.

"The grape."