Episode 025 | Sophie Conte on Respect, Terroir, and Dreams in Tregole
Sophie Conte from Tregole winery in Castellina in Chianti
Tregole: Where Etruscan History Meets Modern Wine Passion
A visit with Sophie Conte and her extraordinary winery in Tuscany
Rain is in the air as I drive up the steep road to Tregole. "Going up, up, up" - that's how I once described it to Sophie, and that's exactly how it feels today. From Castellina, it's a continuous climb until I finally reach the beautiful estate at 520 meters high.
A story that goes back 2400 years
"We're just a small piece in a huge puzzle," Sophie explains to me as we get comfy in a cozy room overlooking the Tuscan hills. And what a puzzle it is! The name Tregole comes from the Etruscans - we're talking about 400 years before Christ here. "Tre" for three and "gole" for valleys - a hill with three small valleys around it.
Especially fascinating is the story of the watchtower from the year 1000. A man named Teodorico Ildebrando was stationed here. "Imagine how different life was in 1003 compared to today," Sophie muses. This perspective runs through our entire conversation - the respect for history and the desire to preserve the heritage without changing it too much.
Records confirm: Tregole's history dates back to 1000 AD
From Marketing to Winery
Sophie's own story is just as exciting. She studied communication and marketing - not exactly the classic path to becoming a winemaker. "I slowly became interested in wine," she shares. After a Master's in marketing and management for wineries, she first worked for other producers in the region.
In 2014, the family faced an important decision: What should happen to the land? "My mom had no idea, my brother does a completely different job, and I was already in the business." Encouragement from friends and colleagues was the deciding factor: "Sophie, believe in this place. You can do great things here." Today, ten years later, she can definitely say: They were right.
The Year of the Psychologist
As we taste her 2023 Chianti Classico - fresh, fruity, and with impressive minerality - Sophie tells me about one of the most challenging years of her career. "I call 2023 the vintage for psychologists," she laughs. "You really need a clear head and a lot of focus."
The reason: Peronospora, a fungus that caused problems across Europe. "At Tregole, we were used to fighting Oidium, but not Peronospora for such a long time." The result: drastically reduced quantities, but exceptional quality for the remaining grapes.
Sophie made a brave decision: instead of producing three different wines as planned (Chianti Classico, Riserva, and Gran Selezione), she made just one Chianti Classico. "If you want to understand all of Tregole's vineyards, you'll find them in this bottle."
The fermentation cellar at Tregole in Castellina in Chianti
Sangiovese is like a woman
"If you treat her well, she's nice to you. If not, she can get really difficult," Sophie explains about her connection to Sangiovese. This grape makes up 100% of her red wine production, and that's on purpose. "Sangiovese is quiet and loud all at once, full of character yet delicate."
The extreme altitude – with vineyards reaching up to 600 meters – gives the wines a really special character. "Tregole's wines linger on your palate for a long time," Sophie says with a wink. "They stay focused right in the middle of your mouth."
Il Chicchero - the surprise wine
Besides her red wines, Sophie also makes something really special: Il Chicchero. The name comes from a card game, typical in Siena, and it means "ace up your sleeve" – a real surprise! This wine sits somewhere between a white wine and a rosé, appearing lighter or pinker depending on the year.
"It's Sangiovese, harvested 20 days earlier than for the Chianti Classico, using the berries with the firmest skins." The secret is whole grapes in the tank, with pressure from their own weight until the first white juice appears. "Every year the quantity is different. Sometimes 400 bottles, sometimes 600. It's a wine we make just for fun."
Labels with Soul
Sophie is super proud of her labels – and she should be! The story behind them really shows off her creative approach: instead of hiring an agency, she gathered friends from design and marketing around her for a whole winter. "We met up, drank wine, ate together, and just thought about Tregole."
The result? A sketch of the house that kept popping up at every meeting. "Why don't we just use the simplest thing – the sketch?" The house has actually always been on the labels, right from when they started making wine here. The different colors for each wine really complete the design.
Tradition Meets Innovation
What really impresses me about Sophie is her approach to winemaking. She mainly works with whole berries, without crushing them. "If the tannins aren't quite ripe yet, I keep them in the berry. Makes sense, right?" This technique helps the wines focus more on the crisp fruit notes rather than the pulp.
The harvest doesn't happen until mid-October – that's super late for Chianti Classico, but it's purely because of the high altitude. "Our dream is to still have the grapes on the vine even after the leaves have fallen. The wine is truly created right there on the vine."
More Than Just Wine
Tregole isn't just a winery; it's also an agriturismo. Sophie's mom takes care of the guests, while Sophie focuses on the wine. "Hospitality has always been the main business here," she explains. With space for 16 guests, a pool, and cooking classes, the estate offers the perfect escape.
"A friend recently told me: 'Sophie, don't say out loud that you're stressed. It's just not believable with a place like this where you live.'" And truly, Tregole radiates a calm that's totally contagious.
Woman Power at Tregole: Edith and Sophie Conte
A Place of the Future
As we enjoy the last sip of the 2023, it hits me: Tregole is so much more than just a winery. It's a place where history comes alive, where tradition and innovation go hand in hand, and where a young woman proves that passion and respect for the land are the best ingredients for amazing wines.
Sophie Conte has managed to bring a 1000-year-old legacy into modern times without losing its soul. Her wines tell the story of Tregole – and you can totally taste that in every single sip.
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