Gaddo della Gherardesca

Between Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri and the Maremma. A millenary family history that intertwines with that of wine

Gaddo della Gherardesca, count and by centuries-old tradition, lord of the Maremma region, has always been a wine connoisseur, produces Le Vedute, a red wine created to suit his own tastes. 

What do Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci wines mean to you?

They’re “family” wines, because it was Camillo della Gherardesca who first realised the potential of wine in the area, Today, however, it’s a story that stars my uncle Mario Incisa della Rocchetta and the Antinori cousins, relatives of ours.

What does Terroir mean to you today?

It increasingly refers to the “recognisability” of an area, but also of a winemaker. It’s as if wine had a real, individual face that can be identified.

You’re a member of a family that’s been in this area for many centuries. What has the Bolgheri area given to wine, and vice versa, what has wine brought to Bolgheri? Bolgheri has been the birthplace of some great individuals who invented wines that could bring fame and fortune to the area, but it’s true that without terroir these wines would never have emerged; it’s also true that if it were not for the wines, the area would never have developed in the way it has. In agriculture, in fact, costs are extremely high, and the land would not be very profitable without wine-growing which, apart from anything else, has the merit of having saved the area from speculative construction.

Increasingly often, wine tasting goes hand in hand with top-level sophisticated events. Who does it attract and why? Wine attracts, it’s popular across the board, everyone loves it. It’s undoubtedly a fashionable product: when we consider who visits and who buys the most prestigious Bolgheri wines, we can see immediately how attractive wine is.

How do you recommend visitors should get to know and understand the area?

Drive up into the hills and look down towards the sea, along the Vecchia Bolgherese area. Between zones of woodland, you can see how the vines are planted with millimetre precision, without encroaching on a land that already had its own important history.

What’s your favourite pairing of a Bolgheri DOC wine and a traditional local dish?

Pappardelle with wild boar brings out all the depth and vibrancy of Bolgheri and showcases the features of these wines.

And your favourite vintage of Sassicaia...

’85, without a shadow of a doubt. In my garage I still have some magnums - empty, naturally - and I have to confess that I don’t allow wine to age very much, despite the wise advice of my relatives.