Episode 027 | Fontodi - Young. Brave. Full of Energy. In Conversation with Margherita Manetti - Part 2

Margherita Manetti is part of the young generation at the Fontodi winery

Inside Fontodi – A Look into the Cellar with Margherita Manetti

In the second part of my chat with Margherita Manetti from the Fontodi winery in Panzano in Chianti, things get really exciting: We'll dive into the cellar and see how the wines that make Fontodi so unique are created.

Margherita takes us along – first mentally through the cellar, then through her stories. It all starts with the grapes, which are painstakingly harvested by hand and double-selected. Only the perfect berries make it into the tanks. “It's back-breaking work,” Margherita says, laughing. “You stand at the sorting table all day, your eyes burn, your back aches – but it's worth it. Quality is everything.”

Sorting Table

Amphorae and French Oak

In Fontodi's cellar, tradition meets a love for experimentation. The Sangiovese is traditionally fermented in stainless steel tanks, but for international grape varieties like Pinot Noir or Syrah, Fontodi now uses terracotta amphorae – made from the same galestro-rich clay as the soils around Panzano.

After that, it's off to the barrels: Around 1,000 French oak barriques are waiting on the lowest floor of the cellar. “Before, we had 80% new barrels, but today it's only 30%,” Margherita explains. “We want to preserve the finesse of the Sangiovese and Pinot Noir and not hide everything under a thick layer of wood.”

Around 1,000 French oak barriques are in Fontodi's cellar

Flaccianello – A Piece of Revolution

Of course, we also have to talk about the story of Flaccianello della Pieve, Fontodi's legendary Supertuscan. Margherita tells how her father produced a 100% Sangiovese in the early 80s – which was a rule-breaker back then. The wines were declassified as a simple “Vino da Tavola” until IGT was introduced as a category in the 1990s. “Today it's unimaginable that 100% Sangiovese was forbidden,” Margherita says. “But it was precisely this rebellion that made Fontodi what it is today.”

By the way, the name Flaccianello comes from a small Romanesque church, Pieve di San Leolino, near the winery, whose cross also adorns the label. “Today the church is almost a tourist attraction; everyone wants to see the Flaccianello cross,” Margherita says.

Travel, Markets, and People

Today, Margherita isn't just busy in the cellar; she's also the face of Fontodi worldwide. 80% of the wines are exported, mainly to the USA, Canada, and Northern Europe. Every market has its quirks: “In Asia, wine and brands are luxury goods – it's often more about the image than the depth of the wines. In the USA, however, there are many collectors who cellar Flaccianello for decades.”

Panzano – A Village, A Vision

At the end of our chat, we come back to Panzano, where Margherita's father was president of the Unione Viticoltori di Panzano, the Panzano winemakers' association, for a long time. Later, Panzano was named Italy's first organic wine-growing district by the international wine press. Today there are 23 wineries here, almost all of them working organically. “We are a family, not competitors,” Margherita says. “That's what makes Panzano special.”

Panzano in Chianti

My tip:
If you want to feel the Fontodi spirit even more, definitely listen to the second podcast episode. Margherita's passion for wine, nature, and craftsmanship is infectious – and Flaccianello is long since more than just a wine; it's a piece of Tuscan history.

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