Formiche

Formiche was created by four friends: Simone, Gigi, Dylan, and a second Simone--three winemakers and an agronomist, who crossed paths and shared experiences in various parts of the world before finding themselves back in Tuscany. The project was born from the two-day reunions they would organize once a month to have dinner and blind-taste various wines. Each of them used to bring 4-5 bottles to fill the weekend with wine, the joy of being together and a lot of laughs. The spark got bigger day by day, and they realized they were all sharing the same energy, the same vision, and the same dream. 

In their minds it became clear that they were being led to only one place and only one grape variety: Ansonica, a late-ripening white variety with a alluring golden hue once ripe, planted along the coast of Tuscany and its nearby islands since the 11th century, considered more rustic by modern oenological standards. It has an intriguing history, and at its best clearly expresses the Tuscan coastal “marine” terroir.

Finding the vineyards was anything but simple. Not much Ansonica had been left in the area, and they looked obsessively and exclusively for old vineyards located on very light sandy soil without any tough clay. It took a couple of years to find the small 2-hectare parcel they began with, south of the Maremma coast in a town called Capalbio, just a few kilometers from the sea. The 30+ year old vines enjoy very pleasant sea breezes, which mitigate the hot spikes in temperature and help keep consistently healthy plants year-round. The old rows of Ansonica were quite dilapidated, but with their own hands, pruning shears, and a huge amount of courage, they bought the vineyard back to life.

The vineyard's red, sandy soils with abundant marine deposits are kept healthy with cover-crops and green manure. Only copper, sulfur and herbal teas (common horse tail, nettle and willow) are used, at minimum dosages and only when strictly necessary. They strive for a natural, holistic approach to viticulture.

At harvest, grapes are evaluated and picked plant-by-plant, in order to take bunches only when they are ready. In the cellar, unnecessary interventions are avoided. Fermentations are spontaneous, whole bunches are gently pressed, no clarifications or fining are done, and sulfur is added only as necessary.