Extension: 91 acres

 

The first 30 hectares of land in front of the villa were planted in the spring of 2003. In 2008, a further seven hectares were planted to the rear of the villa.

 

The vines are made up of American rootstock and European scions. The result is clones obtained from specialised nurseries, chosen with the specific objective of making high quality wine.

 

The rootstock vines are all weak given the terrain rich in silt and clay. In a high density planting pattern, production is thus self-regulating (canopy production is reduced and the plant tends to concentrate more on fruiting).

 

Both clonal selections based on well-defined genetic characteristics and massal selections were planted.

 

All the vineyards adopt the unilateral Guyot technique (a single folded cane with 6/8 fruiting buds).

 

Grass is left between the rows during the spring, while the soil is worked during the summer to avoid competition for water between grass and plant and prevent the terrain from cracking.

 

Alternate rows are sown in the autumn with species such as common vetch, garden pea and forage barley in order to improve the bearing capacity of the land which, being heavy, tends to compact. Green manure is applied as a natural fertilizer thanks to fixation of atmospheric nitrogen in the soil.

Fertilizing is very light and always applied after picking, ideally using specifically selected greenleaf fertilizers.

 

The excellent water retention properties of the soil avoid the need for deficit irrigation.

 

In rainy years, the marked convexing of the land conveys surface water into external channels which drain the water into the neighbouring ditches.

Production: 91 acres

 

Attention to the environment is the philosophy which inspires the Fossa Mala Winery which in 2011 invested in a powerful photovoltaic installation able to supply the majority of the energy required, producing an average of about 380,000 kWh per year.

 

Together with other certified renewable energy sources, Fossa Mala aims at eco-sustainable production.