Unveiling the Treasures of Bolgheri with Podere Sapaio

Bolgheri, a central Italian village and hamlet of Castagneto Carducci, located in the province of Livorno, Tuscany, is known for producing some of Italy’s finest and most prestigious wines. The Bolgheri region’s unique terroir, which includes a combination of favorable climate, soil, and proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea, contributes to the production of these exceptional wines. The Bolgheri area gained international recognition for its high-quality wines, specifically, their Super Tuscan wines, which are a blend of traditional Italian grape varieties, such as Sangiovese, with international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and/or Syrah.The region’s wines are often marked by their rich flavors, deep complexity, and ability to age gracefully.

Some of the renowned names from Bolgheri include Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia), Tenuta dell’Ornellaia (Ornellaia) Grattamacco and Le Macchiole. However, these are not the only notable wines coming from Bolgheri. There are many more gems yet to be unveiled, like Podere Sapaio.

Podere Sapaio is on the Eutruscan Coast, located between the municipalities of Castagneto Carducci and Bibbona in the Tuscan province of Livorno. The winery was founded in 1999, and in 2004, Massino Piccin’s (owner) first two Bolgherian wines (Sapaio and Volpolo) were produced. Podere Sapaio spans over 40 hectares of land, with 25 being allocated to vineyards. Although there is an extraordinary variety of soils (27 in total), the majority of the soil is composed of a sand and clay mix, along with limestone and pebbles of marine origin, as the area was originally swamp and marshland. The variety of soils yield wines with great complexity. In fact, the vineyard’s soils are exclusively suited to yielding their Bordeaux blend of grapes: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot vines. As Piccin’s vision involves “harmonious synergy between man and the environment,” the winery practices ethical, organic and sustainable viticulture. Their philosophy regarding care and defense of plants is based on respect and prevention.

I had the pleasure of meeting Massino Piccin, the visionary of Podere Sapaio and tasting some of his Bolgherese treasures. However, when I heard him speak about his wines, produced where ‘vineyards meet the sea,’ his words were poetic and his passion was truly heartwarming. He spoke a lot about the distinctive terroir and the influence of the Tyrrhenian Sea and how the winery has evolved, in line with its territory, over time.

“We taste the earth, we listen to its signs, and we bring to the surface the essence that is at the root. Time is our most precious resource.”