My Italian Link - Issue #09 My Italian Link Issue #09 | Page 44

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BUSINESS
“ We wanted to create a perfect
harmony between the land,
the vineyards and the wildlife so that
the estate would once again flourish
and live up to its potential ”
Tenuta Il Palagio farm shop.
A TRUE TASTE OF TUSCANY
It’s not just wine! Visit the Il Palagio farm shop (open
daily) and you’ll find gorgeous organic honey, olive oil
pressed from olives grown on the estate, and mouthwa-
tering salumi (charcuterie) from the estate’s specially
bred pigs. The villa itself is available as a luxury events
venue, and while individual rooms are not available,
guests can book one of the several charming villas and
guesthouses on and around the estate, complete with
modern amenities and wine tastings.
Villa Palagio.
Villa Palagio’s garden and pool.
Il Palagio Farm Shop
Via Sant Andrea 11, Figline Valdarno, 50063 Florence
www.il-palagio.com
Tenuta Il Palagio from afar.
~
STING & TRUDIE STYLER
WALK US THROUGH IL PALAGIO WINES
--
What was the deciding factor in purchasing
Il Palagio and moving to Italy?
[Living near Pisa in the 90s] was the beginning of our
real sense of connection with the region. The Tuscan
countryside is incredibly picturesque, scattered with
villages that seem to have hardly changed in hun-
dreds of years.
We looked at many estates over our seven-year
search, but most of the properties we saw didn’t feel
right for us. We needed lots of bedrooms for family
and friends, and most large villas with many rooms
were far too grand in style. When we came upon
Il  Palagio we were very pleasantly surprised. The
villa is not full of cavernous rooms and precious
frescoes – the rooms are on a human scale. It has a
wonderfully restorative and peaceful atmosphere,
and has been a very special family place for us.
Tuscany just feels like a place we belong to and
Il Palagio has the tradition we hoped to be a part of.
There was a small misunderstanding when the
previous owner served you wine you thought came
from Il Palagio’s vineyard. How did this affect
the direction you took with Il Palagio wine later?
Trudie and I made a commitment early on to do what
was necessary to produce the best wine possible.
We’ve been fortunate to have had an amazing team
from the very beginning. And we are even more for-
tunate that our wines have been so well received by
critics and wine lovers alike.
You find yourselves alongside centuries-old
Italian winemaker families. What has it meant
for you both to contribute to so ancient and
ingrained a viticulture?
Il Palagio had ancient vines and a long history of pro-
ducing wine, going as far back as the 1500s. As we
began to restore the property, we realised what a
wonderful endeavour it would be to carry on that lega-
cy, so we made the commitment to restore the far-
mland and vineyards, as well the guesthouse, and to
create the highest quality produce and wines as pos-
sible. This, of course, was also a kind of challenge that
Trudie and I took on. We wanted to create a perfect
harmony between the land, the vineyards and the
wildlife so that the estate would once again flourish
and live up to its potential.
Which traditional Italian winemaking techniques
have you preserved, and which more modern
approaches have you introduced?
We have maintained a centuries-old respect for the
land with the help of our amazing team. Our estate
– the vineyards and farmland – are certified organic
and Il Palagio electricity is certified 100% green ener-
gy. We produce wines that – from the simplest When
We Dance, to Casino delle Vie and Sister Moon – ex-
press the soul of ’nostra’ (our) Tuscany (represented
by the Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
grapes), allowing us to reach standards of excellence
we are very proud of. Our wines are recognised for
their authentic character, which is also found in the
variation of the vintages, wines that are distingui-
shed by their simplicity and drinkability as well as
harmony and elegance.
Which duties do each of you take on
in the winemaking process?
I’m involved to some degree in decisions about va-
rious aspects of the business, though it is Trudie
who stays on top of everything from production and
distribution, to new marketing ideas and bi-weekly
phone meetings with our wine team. We both visit
Il Palagio for the harvest, to taste new vintages and
meet with our team on the ground, and we both help
to promote our wines in whatever way we can.
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