In Podere Brizio

Montalcino e il Brunello: a romance that began in the Middle Ages

Montalcino is located on the Via Francigena, a road that runs past important Tuscan cities to Rome. In the Middle Ages, following to the destruction of many Roman roads, the Via Francigena became the primary way to reach Rome and the road that was inevitably chosen by emperors, kings, popes and many other persons of note. One example? Charlemagne, who stayed in the taverns of our country, walked on our cobblestone streets and drank our wine. At the time, there was no talk of Brunello, but of Moscadello, a wine that was, from the second half of the 1600´s, to be slowly replaced by a purer and aged Sangiovese: the Brunello.

It was during these years that the world began to learn about Brunello. Some historical texts from the mid 1600s tell of imports to English soil of our fine wine, but only for the royal table.

From then on a growing awareness would, over the course of the centuries, transform the town of Montalcino into one of the most popular towns in southern Tuscany after Siena and Arezzo, and the Brunello di Montalcino would become a symbol of this land of wine.

Discover the history of Podere Brizio 

In 1980, Brunello became the first DOCG in Italy. The ascent of the Brunello towards worldwide success was at its peak. But the Brunello is not the only great wine produced in Montalcino. In 1984, the Rosso di Montalcino, a truly innovative DOC, was born.

Today Montalcino boasts over 250 wineries for a total sale of 15 million bottles of wine a year worldwide. They’re dizzying numbers for an excellent wine.



a modern story of an ancient estate

Podere Brizio in Montalcino

Podere Brizio is a young company with an old history. It’s a history that we love and have made our own, and this is reflected in the way we’ve designed the wine label to reflect it. Here you’ll see a 10 Parpagliola coin, coined in 1556 as a symbol of the Republic of Siena in a year in which about 600 noble Sienese families took refuge in the fortress of our town in order to keep the Sienese Republic alive. The coin is silver and symbolises the resistance, tenacity and strength of a place whose history is even better than fiction.

The charming hill on which Podere Brizio sits is surrounded by olive groves and vineyards and faces southwest, towards the sea. This sea can be seen from the windows of our estate on the clearest days, beyond the olive grove, past the vineyard and behind the grove of oak trees. Oaks accompany us even in the large garden that surrounds the estate. They stand tall and fair, minimally affected by the passage of time with their twisted branches and gnarled trunk.

To enter Podere Brizio is to enter a “new old” world, a world where wine isn’t just “produced”, but where every single grape is lived.

The rich red earth, common on this versant, is the perfect place for our vines and for sustainable production, which we have consistently carried out since 2013.


Podere Brizio: a winemaking gem

Thirty three hectares in total, 11.5 of which are planted with Sangiovese grapes and two with olive trees, make up Podere Brizio, a gem in the Montalcino hills. Arriving at the small but cosy estate, you will be swept away by a most unique setting. You will lose yourself among the majestic olive trees, harmonious vineyards and fragrant groves in an environment capable of producing 50,000 bottles of wine a year.

Our wine is produced as naturally as possible because our goal is to capture our surroundings and bring them to the glass. The land is our best friend: a living, healthy soil rich in microbial interactions, which give our wine a freshness and unique flavour.

Podere Brizio focuses on sustainable agriculture. No chemical additives are used in our vineyards, just plenty of hard work on the part of our farmers who constantly accompany the cultivation with vineyard-friendly actions like planting natural fertilisers that oxygenate the soil and enrich and mineralise it. Our philosophy accompanies every single grape from plant to bottle, giving our wine a decisive and harmonious structure.

Cultivation is sustainable, as is the harvest, which is done by hand with a serious and determined selection of only the best grapes, as tradition dictates. Once harvested, all the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks without the use of chemical additives, but with indigenous yeasts that leave intact the natural flavour of the grapes, the nuances of the land and the taste of the maritime-scented air around us.

Podere Brizio wine is aged in 54-hectolitre untoasted Allier French oak casks . We believe that it’s a wise choice to abandon the barrique in favour of the large wooden cask, a choice made with one goal: to preserve the characteristics of the fruit without altering the flavour and freshness in any way.

Our wine thus wine takes on full maturity in the simplest possible way, evolving with natural freshness, a freshness that is found in the glass, where you’ll discover a complex wine that’s fresh to drink with a fruity aftertaste, positioned in a classic style.

The large casks are kept in the cellar, which will soon be enlarged to over 400 square metres. The winery is adjacent the homestead and easily accessible on foot via a path that runs between the garden and the forest. It’s a short walk that’s entirely worth it.