Podcast 004 | Le Fonti Panzano - A Chat with Vicky Schmitt-Vitali

June 9

Vicky and Guido from Le Fonti Panzano winery

For today's podcast episode, I'm visiting the Le Fonti winery in Panzano in Chianti, and I get to sit on my absolute favorite terrace in all of Chianti – Vicky and Guido's terrace, the owners of Le Fonti.

Thanks to the trees, the terrace is pleasantly shady in summer, and from here, you get a wonderful view of the vineyards. Mack, Le Fonti's dog, often hangs out with us there. He guards the vineyards by keeping deer and wild boars away. Conveniently, the terrace is also right next to the cellar – so there's always a glass of wine to try!

Le Fonti's Terrace

“In my opinion, probably the most beautiful terrace in all of Chianti”
*Nina in Chianti*

The Owner

Sitting next to me is Vicky Schmitt-Vitali. She and her husband Guido own the Le Fonti winery. Vicky is a mom of three and always has a smile on her face, even when she's super busy. She manages the family, but also the direct sales at the winery, which is open for tourists and Le Fonti fans. She gives winery tours to visitors and organizes her team in the vineyard and cellar when it's time to bottle wines, harvest grapes, and pick olives. She handles all the international orders and the paperwork that comes with it, AND she's an AMAZING cook!

The Winery in the Heart of Tuscany

Le Fonti is a winery right in the heart of Tuscany – in Chianti Classico. Panzano is right in the middle of Chianti Classico, and Le Fonti is right in the middle of Panzano. From the piazza, you head up towards the church into the historic part of Panzano, and from that street, you turn right to Le Fonti. This means you can walk to the winery from the piazza – which isn't usually the case!

Le Fonti at a Glance

Le Fonti has almost 9 hectares of vineyards and about 1,000 olive trees, and it's run using organic principles. The Schmidt family has owned Le Fonti since 1993. Vicky's father, Conrad, bought the winery back then and replanted the vineyards with three varieties: Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Eventually, Vicky and her husband Guido took over the winery and have been in charge of the wines ever since. Their range includes three Chianti Classico wines: a wonderfully fruity Chianti Classico, a Chianti Classico Riserva, and a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. Then there's the Fontissimo (also known as “Dad's Best”), a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and varying amounts of Sangiovese depending on the vintage. The selection is rounded off with a single-varietal Merlot, a summery house wine called La Lepre, and, of course, their Rosato AND olive oil.

Vicky & Guido

Together, these two are in charge of Le Fonti's wines. And they regularly win awards for their hard work!

“Alta Valle della Greve” - Cool Locations

Le Fonti's wines have already won many awards and keep getting recognized. This might also be thanks to Le Fonti's unique locations and orientation. I always say Le Fonti has some 'cool spots.' The name for these spots, 'Alta Valle della Greve,' means 'the high valley of Greve.' Greve refers to the town further down in the valley, but also, of course, the river that flows through the winery. Le Fonti sits at 450 meters (about 1,476 feet) above sea level, and Greve is around 220 meters (about 722 feet). All the vineyards face east, so they get the first morning sun. But in the afternoons, it's shady almost everywhere, which means fewer shriveled grapes and, later, that special freshness in the wine. According to Vicky's father, this gives Le Fonti an absolute 'platinum location.'

When Do They Harvest?

Harvest used to always be in October. But because of hotter summers and more extreme temperatures over the last ten years, it's been getting earlier and earlier, with harvesting sometimes starting as early as mid-September. Grapes can handle the heat during the day, but only if it cools down again at night. On hot days with cool nights, the grapes ripen much faster, creating that perfect balance of acidity and alcohol.

Do All Grape Varieties Ripen at the Same Time?

How long grapes take to ripen depends on where they're planted and also the variety – Merlot, for example, ripens much earlier than Sangiovese. Cabernet Sauvignon is usually the last to ripen; its grapes are tougher and can even stay on the vine for three to four days longer if needed. Sangiovese grapes grow very close together, making them more prone to rot from water or rain, because unlike other varieties, there's hardly any airflow between the individual berries.

How Do You Know When Grapes Are Ripe?

To figure out the perfect time to harvest, they look at things like pH levels, acidity, and sugar content. But the plant's appearance also matters – if the stem starts changing from green to brown, that's a good first sign. And if you break open a grape and the seeds aren't green anymore but brownish, that's another good indicator that the grapes are ready. The weather also plays a huge role here. If the grapes really need a few more days, but super bad weather is on its way, they'll start harvesting earlier. On the other hand, if good weather is predicted, they can easily delay the harvest for a few days.

What Happens to the Grapes After Harvest?

At Le Fonti, harvesting is all done by hand. Each vineyard is harvested separately because every plot has different qualities, and then the grapes are fermented separately in their own steel tanks. Even while picking, the grapes get a first check for ripeness, rot, and any other damage. So, right from the start, only the 'good' grapes make it into the basket. Down in the cellar, there's another quality check on the sorting table before the destemming machine gently separates the grapes from their stems. The destemmed, whole berries then fall into large 5000-liter containers, and the fermentation process can slowly begin.

Le Fonti's Aging Cellar

The wines are fermented in steel tanks, and then they go into French oak barriques to age.

Le Fonti's Aging Cellar in Panzano in Chianti

Even before the young wine goes into wooden barrels for further aging after fermentation, the specific blend, or 'cuvée,' is decided for each wine. Vicky and Guido are convinced this creates better harmony during further aging; I like to call it 'the early marriage' of the young wines. The wooden barrels come in 225, 400, and 500-liter sizes. After this process, the different wines spend one to two years in their barrels before being bottled. If you'd like to sit on that beautiful terrace and try Le Fonti's wines yourself, just drop Vicky an e-mail (vicky@fattorialefonti.it) with the code 'PODCASTNINAINCHIANTI' to book a winery tour.