On Valentine’s Day we replace vines that have surrendered to adversity with vigorous new rooted cuttings, full of life.

Due to greedy wild animals, drought and other adversities, a small proportion of our vines die every year, especially in the first years of planting, when the plants are most susceptible. These plants are promptly replaced with new cuttings, so as to ensure uniformity in the vineyard and support production yields.“Barbatella” is the Italian name for vine rootstock. The name is derived from the Italian “barba” meaning “beard” – the roots of the plant really do look like a tatty beard. In Tuscany, they are simply called “le barbe”, the beards.