Davide Vignato winery in Gambellara, volcanic territory in the province of Vicenza, produces natural wines, in each glass of those wines you can perceive the identity of a unique place. The fascinating columns of lava made by Monte San Marco, an extinguished volcano which is only 500 m far from the winery, gave origin to a massive deposit of dark basaltic rocks that characterize the soil of this tiny but amazing terroir. Davide Vignato is me. I was born and raised in Gambellara, here I live with my family. In Gambellara I got to know the land, the soil and the rhythms of nature helping my father in the vineyards after school. Today I’m leading the family winery, which is named after me. I was the first one who wanted and who bottled organic wines certified as Gambellara Doc. A certain choice and a starting point to narrate the mineral soul of Gambellara wines: I want this mineral soul to be expressed in all its pureness and elegance. WINES OF NATURE My love for Gambellara, a small village at the foot of Monti Lessini. The desire to let the world know about Gambellara through quality wines that can be easily recognized. The need of giving attention to the soil again, respecting its rhythms, caring it and harvesting its purest fruits. Organic agriculture was the first step to remove fertilizers and chemical elements that flatten the wine, in this way I can let the wine express in the best way possible the essence of the territory from which it is born. Feeding the vines giving attention to their needs, in an open and daily dialogue, that day by day becomes deeper and more intimate, only in this way I’m able to release the authentic smells and flavors of the wines. Each day I create wines of the territory, wines of nature, wines of Gambellara: clean, elegant and direct wines, where you can capture the volcanic soul of a unique terroir, pure, as only nature can be. Soil, seasons, nature. From these elements healthy and perfect grape bunches are born, the unique and essential ingredient for wines that are a faithful mirror of a territory with an unmistakable personality. Small in dimensions, but immense in taste. VOLCANIC WINES A volcanic territory. Gambellara soil is rich in basaltic dark rocks of volcanic origin, that give the wines great elegance and freshness. A small extinguished volcano, just 500 m far from my winery, inside a park with a natural amphitheater where there are lots of paths that carry you into the forest. The columns of lava in Gambellara are a rare natural heritage. Hear, in the past, you could find a real basalt mine with the shape of a hexagonal prism where, during The Fifties, rocks were mined in order to build railroad track ballasts. Thanks to the restore of the cave an amazing, unique and natural place has been recovered and today you can still see a part of the deposit of volcanic rocks that originated millions of years ago. The roots of my 14 hectares of vineyards go deep inside these mineral soils, I feed them with care and natural techniques such as the green manure (Sovescio). The grape variety that best represents the essence of Davide Vignato winery is Garganega, the main character of Gambellara Doc and Recioto di Gambellara Docg. Mainly on the hills I also cultivate Durella, Glera, Chardonnay and Merlot grape varieties. The training system I use is the traditional “open pergoletta vicentina” or “Guyot” and I harvest the grape bunches manually during the grape harvest. WINES OF PEOPLE Hands. In the past my grandfather Rinaldo’s hands, he was the first one to harvest the golden bunches of Garganega in Brovia locality, in the vineyards surrounded by white and dusty country roads. Then my father Gian Domenico’s hands, he decided to carry on all the wine making process with our family grape. In the end my hands. Following the precious footsteps of the people who took care of this Land I decided to reduce yield per hectare. I have abandoned conventional agriculture to fully and completely embrace Nature. I’m now following this path, that renews itself day by day. Exactly as nature. People are always the heart of a company. People that are in the front row for their company, people that work hard for their dreams. My grandfather Rinaldo’s old cowsheds have now become a modern and equipped winery where I follow each step of my wine, doing just the necessary and letting the wine follow its natural evolution. Nowadays the “Picai” are still hung up the ceiling to produce Recioto Wine. Yesterday’s traditions are alive in today’s work, while new ideas and technical knowledge, considerations and tests give life to always more pleasant and elegant wines. “Wines of Gambellara, of volcanic hills, of its people”.