The Fattoria Le Pupille Winery is nestled between meadows and vineyards, situated in the heart of Maremma. Over thirty years ago Elisabetta Geppetti took over the winery from her father-in-law, Fredi, and within the shortest space of time SHE HAS ESTABLISHED THE ELITE OF THE ITALIAN WINES.
Is the wine business in your blood or when did it become clear that you wanted to enter into the winemaking world?
At the beginning wine was simply a passion, because at that time I studied Art History in the Faculty of Humanities at Pisa University. When Fredi died it became clear that winemaking was my vocation. I sensed immediately that I had to follow this passion, which was not just mine but his as well.
What does tradition mean to you?
For me tradition is the essence of a place or a community of people in constant development to a higher level of consciousness. It is roughly the same concept that I always try to convey to my children: to stay faithful to themselves and to adapt to a consistently changing world.
Tradition or innovation?
Definitely both. In my opinion you always have to respect your own history, whether it is your personal history or that of a territory and in the process to strive for continuous improvement – in harmony with the time in which we live.
What is it that fascinates you about your profession?
Even after many years of experience I am still as impatient and curious as on the first day. What will Mother Nature offer us in this new year, how will the vintage be, how much rain will we get and which winds will blow our way. Winemaking does not just mean working the land and the vineyards, but also looking up at the sky and sometimes saying a prayer.
Which grape varieties do you grow most frequently and which are your location wine specialities?
Our vineyards are situated in the heart of the appellation Morellino di Scansano, therefore the Morellino di Scansano is our most representative wine. However, we became internationally known due to the classic Saffredi, a Bordeaux blend, and the Sangiovese-Cru Poggio Valente – two Crus from the heart of Maremma from an elevation of between 250 and 300 meters.
The Fattoria Le Pupille Winery is situated in the beautiful Tuscan Maremma. What influence do the environment, the climate and nature have on your wine?
The microclimate plays a very significant role and we are extremely lucky because almost all our vineyards are situated on hilly terrain, not far from the sea and in a very sunny location. I always had the impression that the sun in Maremma shines a little bit brighter than anywhere else.
What makes your wines so special? Is there a secret that can share with us?
Thank you for the praise; that makes me very happy. However, I do not think that we weave any secrets into the production of our wines. Ultimately the wines are the reflection of that which we are as a company and as a family – and one of our most important values is the attention to detail.
How important is organic cultivation?
Organic cultivation is an issue that is very close to our hearts. At the moment we are conducting tests on several plots and hope that we can convert all our vineyards to organic cultivation in the future, even if we have been operating agriculturally for years with a low environmental impact and have joined other projects that are promoted by the Ministry for environmental transition.
Which of your wines are you particularly proud of?
Wines are like children, I love them all!
Which questions should one definitely ask of a winemaker?
“Which wine would you drink on judgment day?”
The answer may reveal that it is not necessarily one of our wines. Wine producers are like artists: to create their works they require constant inspiration.
Photos Copyrights: Fattoria Le Pupille
