Making wine is like living in a world that’s always in motion. It’s about being present, staying observant, and constantly adapting – and that’s what makes our work so vibrant and ever-changing. Starting in 2025, we’d like to share with you more of what we do: the daily routines, the people who put their hearts and hands into the process, the nature that moves with its own rhythm and connects with our efforts, and the little innovations we try out along the way. From now on, Pippo D’Alessandro, our General Manager, will be the one to take you behind the scenes and share what life is like here at Poggio Antico. 

“We’re deep into pruning season, which is really the first big task of the year. After finishing up maintenance on the vine supports, we kicked things off on January 8th. Right now, as winter is still hanging on, the vineyard is in its restful phase, getting ready for the new season to start.

Pruning isn’t just a technical job – it’s a careful consideration of each vine’s potential. We want to avoid making overly invasive cuts while giving the vines the right shape to allow them to thrive. It’s a process that requires patience, attention, and a deep understanding of the plants – each vine has its own story, and our vineyard team knows them inside and out.

Every morning, the team gathers early at the winery, checking the equipment before heading out to the rows of vines. Under Jacopo’s guidance, everybody gets to work. It’s a long job, but never a boring one. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching the vines take shape, knowing that the work we do today will directly impact the harvest – not only for this year, but for years to come.

It’s also indubitably a very creative process: pruning isn’t just about cutting – it’s about shaping the vine, creating a form that suits its nature, following a set of rules and protocols. We use both manual secateurs for precise, detailed cuts and battery-powered shears for bigger jobs, which make the process lighter and more ergonomic. It's all about working efficiently and keeping our team comfortable during long hours in the vineyard.

The Climate: Warmer Than Usual, But Manageable

January was marked by higher-than-usual average temperatures. It's not the first time we've had to deal with increasingly warmer weather – particularly, the nighttime lows were among the highest we've seen in the last six years.

Precipitation totaled 41mm, spread over 18 days. This weather pattern continues to feel increasingly out of the ordinary, and it requires us to stay very vigilant. There are no easy solutions, so we adapt to the ongoing challenge as best we can.

In the Cellar: Fermentations Complete, New Experiments Underway

All fermentations have now finished, and each plot from the 2024 harvest is resting in its respective oak barrel: 25hl Austrian oak barrels for I Poggi, 25hl French oak barrels for the Riserva, and 40hl Slavonian oak barrels for the Brunello, all waiting for the blending in April. As for the Rosso di Montalcino, we’re using a “mixed” aging approach: part in Slavonian and French oak barrels to enhance the polyphenolic complexity and softness, and part in stainless steel to maintain that fresh fruity note.

The Cabernet Sauvignon and the pressed wines are resting in 225lt French barriques. The cellar is currently maintaining a steady temperature of 14°C, with weekly organoleptic and analytical checks.

On a more active front, the 2024 Rosé (70% in stainless steel, 30% in barriques) has undergone around six months of aging on fine lees. We’ve just racked it and blended it back into steel, waiting for the technical timing before bottling, which should happen soon – by the end of February, or the first week of March at the latest.

Innovations in the Vineyard and Cellar

Innovation is always on the move at Poggio Antico. In the cellar, we’re experimenting with a new system called AirMixing. This is a technology that could potentially replace the traditional pump-over and punch-down methods, using jets of air to gently stir the pomace at the bottom of the fermentation tanks. This could help reduce maceration times, making the process more delicate while still extracting the right flavors and textures from the skins.

Events and News: The Work Continues

Amidst all the daily tasks, we’re also preparing for some major upcoming events. After the success at WineParis, we’re already turning our attention to Vinitaly this April. But before that, we’ll be heading to New York and Chicago to celebrate the Tre Bicchieri award for our 2019 Brunello from Gambero Rosso. And in February, we’ll be presenting our wines in the UK – both in London and Manchester – alongside our importer.

We're also busy working on some exciting updates for our Wine Club. Our goal is to expand the offerings for our members, and we’ve got some great things in the works. Stay tuned for more updates soon!"