Corzano e Paterno

The Gelpke and Goldschmidt families have run this estate since Swiss architect, Wendel Gelpke, bought the property from the Marchese Ippolito Niccolini in 1969. Despite overlooking he poetic landscape that had inspired the likes of Leonardo and Michelangelo, the family legend talks of finding the farm nearly abandoned as local workers sought less painstaking work in the economic revolution in the cities of Italy in the 1960s and 1970s.

Armed with the help of his family, the kind advice of local farmers, and no short supply of elbow grease, the farmhouse was slowly renovated, and the fields became resplendent once more with vines, olives, crops and their own heard of milk sheep.

Wendel, obsessed with discovering the centuries-old techniques that had thrived since the time of the Medicis, was told grazing sheep was the best way to clear derelict fields. This saw the arrival of 50 milk sheep from Sardinia (along with an accompanying donkey). Not only were the fields cleared and increasingly ready for planting, Wendel also became now throughout the local area for making some of the best Pecorino around!

The village of San Casciano Val di Pesa had always been a retreat for the aristocracy looking to escape the fast-paced life of nearby Florence. Indeed, famed writer Niccolo Machiavelli was said to gaze upon Florence’s basilica from his own courtyard in the village. The Gelpke and Goldschmidt families had once again restored it to the perfect place for a Sunday afternoon passegiata!

The property itself forms what looks to be an almost natural stone outcrop, jutting out from the otherwise famous rolling hills of this region.

Originally a watchtower on the important road between Florence and Siena, it’s from a 6-hectare natural amphitheatre that you really get the perfect view of the surrounding region. It’s this plot that was first planted with vines by the family. At around 300m in altitude, the vines face south and south-west to make the most of the growing season sun which slowly ripen the grapes to perfect maturity. The gravel soils with a bedrock of clay and limestone and that beautiful structure to all the wines produced.

Over the ensuing years the family have carefully expanded their production. 1975’s purchase of neighbouring La Fattoria di Paterno brought with it an additional 70 hectares of land as well as its 10^th century watch tower. As the scale of vineyards increased, Wendel and his nephew Aljoscha modified and enhanced local wine making techniques, with skills learned at the Wädenswil wine school in Zürich. The grapes include standard Tuscan varieties of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Malvasia and Trebbiano as well as international favourites such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Aljoscha was joined in the vineyards and cellars by Wendel’s daughter Arianna, and since 2018 by his own son, William. The property now boasts around 20 hectares of vines, all still enriched by the manure of their herd of milk sheep form which they produce award-winning local cheese. The total production is a modest 90,000 bottles of delicious, traditionally made wines including reds, a white, a rosé and even a stunning, must-try sweet wine. In a world where everyone is looking for that perfect story, this is the real deal Tuscan adventure, bottled and ready for you all to enjoy.