Azienda Agricola Passalacqua Valentina
AZIENDA AGRICOLA PASSALACQUA VALENTINA, Puglia – Organic
Photo by Peter Backlund
Ten years after tending the vineyard and producing wine under her eponymous label, Valentina launched “Progetto Calcarius” which is the result of continuous research and listening to that specific terroir that led Valentina to select these specific 25 hectares. The eye-catching labels and transparent glass are the first obvious features of these game-changing wines, but it is the Kimmeridgian limestone soils of the vineyard at the foot of the Gargano mountains that provide the soul of the wines. These soils act like a mirror, reflecting the sun’s rays off the fruit and vines, allowing for an earlier ripening period. This, combined with the salty air from the nearby Adriatic Sea and Valentina’s watchful eye, and harvesting at the optimum time, culminates in wines of freshness, minerality and a saline tone. The wines are elegant and display a reserved confidence, just like the creative force behind them.
Valentina: “It all started in 2008 with motherhood which gave me the courage to change my life. Returning to my origins was like rediscovering the most authentic dimension of myself, marked by the rhythms of nature and characterized by the scents and colors of the countryside. Wine was a choice to honor Nature, bringing a message of light and awareness. I like to think that wine can be a natural ferment of change and emotions. It’s much more than just a drink. It’s the story of a soul, without makeup, simple and full of life! Grapes are like a child. You have to take care of it, show it love and keep it on the right path, but eventually it will grow and express itself. In this way the vine can express the truest part of our Earth, the Gargano. The many aspects of its natural beauty – the Gargano Mountain, the Adriatic Sea, the Umbrian forest – frame this particular limestone soil on which our vines grow. The result is a fruit that tells all of this: an explosion of elegant, mineral taste and dynamic acidity that captures your tongue.”
Imported by: Les Caves De Pyrène