A farm located in the middle of La Spezia’s countryside, with five generations behind it and only quality wines
The Fratelli Giannarelli farm, located on the hills around the village of Bolano (La Spezia), between Val di Vara and Val di Magra, was established in 2010, when Enrico and Massimo Giannarelli decided to follow in the footsteps of five generations of wine producers, dedicated to growing vineyards and olive trees in the family estate. The two brothers are carrying on the project with hard work and effort, replanting native grape varieties and building a new state-of-the-art cellar at the foothills of the village, over a large green area in the hinterland of La Spezia.
Therefore, one of the slogans on their website, “Green is the new Black”, is very appropriate for this project. Their farm has been able to combine ancient craftsmen’s know-how with modern production requirements, in a delicate balance between past and present. The Giannarelli brothers have a passion for wine growing and dedicate themselves to looking after the vineyards and to taking care of work in the cellar, from the first binding of the vineyard to wine bottling.
They have been working from the very beginning with determination to create a quality, genuine and niche product. Their output is almost entirely destined to restaurants and to few private customers. The small wine selection, which currently includes Vermentino DOP Colli di Luni and Colli di Luni Rosso DOP, fully reflects the peculiarity of the territory where the vineyards are grown: a unique environment, 150 m above sea level, with a mild climate, low thermal excursion and rain which regularly soaks the clay soil. The Fratelli Giannarelli farm is a oasis surrounded by greenery, far from city noises. The main roads run at the foot of the hill and keep away the traffic, leaving the farm connected to the unspoiled rhythms of agricultural life.
Enrico’s and Massimo’s efforts are constantly aimed at preserving and protecting the natural cycle of the vineyard and terroir. They have rejected from the beginning the use of chemicals and of invasive wine practices in the cellar. Both Vermentino and Colli di Luni Rosso are wines which respect the culture to which they belong and bear witness to a connection, made of tenacity, hard work and affection, with a peculiar territory such as Liguria, fragmented by terracing, protected by mountains and aired by sea breeze.
“For the near future, we have decided to further tighten our bond with the territory by selecting a few plots of land to grow two Crus: Vermentino DOP Colli di Luni, inspired by our roots, Casa Salani, an old group of farmhouses from the 17th century where our forefathers used to grow vineyards and olive trees, and Colli di Luni Rosso DOP, Rio Brusco, from the name of the small creek which runs across the land”, Enrico says.
