The origins
They call us the "pioneers of the Bassa" and not so much to say. Annafrancesca is a young reality, but which bases its roots in the dream of the visionary grandfather of half a century ago, who sees in his land a potential invisible to most. We would never have thought of tying our life to a vineyard, having taken very different paths; but in our blood already unconsciously flowed that passion that only needed to mature and reveal itself. After the first effort of learning a trade as hard as it is new, it took a few years to transform our project from the sole cultivation of grapes to that of wine production, from welcoming visitors and tourists first in the vineyard and then in the Wine Loft. It is our history and that of a vineyard and the wines that bear our name, at the same time impregnated with the spirit of grandfather Battista.
1. Grandpa's dream
Grandpa did another job, but I had a dream: that of a large vineyard. And he sees in the land of Legnago the potential for his project. So buy a lot and plant a small Merlot vineyard, which is raised in a pergola, to host festive Sunday lunches with family and friends, in the shade of generous fronds.
6. From grapes to wine
In August 2015, walking through the ancient Merlot, we realized that those wonderful bunches deserved to be enhanced to the fullest by transforming them into great wines. It was probably the grandfather's spirit that guided us at that moment, and we sisters, strong of the Fisar sommelier experience, decided to try.
2. The organic pond
North of the vineyard, from a large hole, the brick factory of Meneghini (Maria Callas' first husband) took the clay; with the promise that it would be closed with material from the reconstruction of Legnago, the grandfather notices that groundwater flows from the bottom. He then decides to keep the quarry that soon turns into a pond full of fish, turtles and today migratory birds; a real oasis of biodiversity.
7. The first bottle: Charm Sparkling Merlot
3. The growth of the vineyard
Even our father, an emergency room doctor, is passionate about the vineyard and thus helps his grandfather in the development of the farm, adding both Merlot and Pinot Grigio vineyards, as well as fruit trees and other crops, as is typical in those years. The dream of the only large vineyard is difficult to achieve, however over the years they become founding members and grape confers of a social winery; and of course, they produce wine for family use. A beautiful park is also created in front of the pond, where you can enjoy space, nature and shade in summer.
8. Annafrancesca Winery
After the success of the first wine, our customers push us not to stop and so one at a time, first studying the grapes and how to enhance them to the maximum, we introduce two other iconic wines: Libellula Merlot and Dry Moscato Hedgehog, and the very rare passiti wines: Battista (Merlot) and Sisters (Moscato) With unusual labels and organoleptic characteristics that distinguish them from the classics of the same type, we gain the attention of more and more markets, especially foreign. The road is therefore marked and so we transform Il Pioppo into the Annafrancesca winery.
4. Anna and Francesca's choice
We two sisters had chosen careers very far from viticulture and we would never have dreamed of tying ourselves to our land of origin. However, for different reasons we leave our jobs and, after a short time, we decide to dedicate ourselves to the grandfather's vineyard and try to turn his dream not only into reality, but also into a real business. We founded the wine-growing company "Il Pioppo" in 2013 and we immediately got busy learning the trade: we attended pruning courses and obtained licenses for tractor driving and phytosanitary treatments; we also enlarged the vineyard with another 36 thousand Pinot Grigio and Moscato Giallo plants, and after a few years, Piwi varieties. We still don't produce wine, but we sell grapes to other wineries.
9. The Covid period and the Wine Loft
When things start to work and Italian restaurants also start asking for our bottles, Covid suddenly blocks everything and risks canceling all progress. Without losing heart, we quickly organize ourselves to deliver our wines at home, thus developing a network of enthusiastic private customers with whom we create outdoor tastings, opening the gates of the vineyard for the first time. To cope with the growing requests for visits, including winter, and the increase in wine production, we are restructuring a disused building a short distance away, and creating the Wine Loft: a modern and multifunctional space where we organize our tasting events and sell the wine directly.
5. The organic oasis and biodiversity
Working in the vineyard, we quickly realize that we didn't like something about conventional chemical treatments, which pollute the earth, kill insects and stick to our skin and breath. We are immediately looking for more natural, organic alternative treatments, to respect the environment and also ourselves. We thus become, albeit only unofficially, an organic company since 2013 without legal certification, and we immediately notice the differences: the vineyard becomes a magnificent garden full of flowers and wildlife, such as upupe, which are only found where the environment is healthy.
10. The Limited Editions
Until 2022 no wine with Pinot Grigio grapes because it is considered uninteresting for our wine standard. But a special tasting and the knowledge of a capable winemaker, makes us change our minds: this is how the Limited Edition line was born, three wines with a very limited production of 1800 bottles: Ancestrale Spumante di Pinot Grigio, Pinot Grigio copper, and a special reserve of Merlot. In addition, to complete the Annafrancesca wine line, a Classic Method could not be missing, available from 2026, obviously with an unpublished grape variety and for now... top secret!