My wife was doing research on Cormons and friuliano wine makers and came across Lorenzo Mocchiutti and his wife Federica Magrini who work together. They are one of those once on a lifetime couples with a focus on what they do, and how they do it. Its true visiting a winery can be very exhausting even boring especially when you’re inside cold cellars listening to winemakers speak about what they do, or how good their wines are.
Located in a quaint village, just off the main route driving down a short alley you come to a winery, which looks more like a discrete neighbourhood yard, it’s their version of a garage winery but its not.
We were greeted by Lorenzo and his worker Matteo, who was washing barrels. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I hesitate to visit cellars especially on a really gorgeous winter days when the sunshine is roaring in the blue skies. Lorenzo took us into his tasting room directly off the yard and there are empty bottles of other wine makers, a good sign.
They have a respectful approach to vineyard management and their careful use of herbicides and there is no trimming of shoots, although some excess leaves or fruit are trimmed to create optimal berries. In fact inspired by late Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masanobu_Fukuoka and according to Fukuoka’s observation, the soil cultivates itself. There is no need for man to do what roots, worms, and microorganisms do better. Furthermore, ploughing the soil alters the natural environment and promotes the growth of weeds. Therefore, his first principle was, no ploughing or turning of the soil.
This fully hands-off method of viticulture is attracting global producers. As organic, biodynamic, and regenerative viticultural methods continue to increase in popularity, a handful of brave winemakers are taking low-intervention wine growing a step further.
What exactly does that mean? The major distinguishing factor of the regenerative farming philosophy is the emphasis on restoration, which translates to a hyper-focus on topsoil and cover crops. To grow their Merlot, they eschew tilling and weed control. Instead of plowing, he mows the vineyard, allowing for organic residue to stay in the farm system, decomposing and rejoining the resident soils. This hands-off farming technique is also popular in Fukuoka-inspired wine growing.
Truly, it was interesting to listen to Lorenzo about his work which started in 1999 when he changed his university studies and dropped out to become a farmer. At the time his grandfather was a wine maker using everything but wood as it was the trend in Italy at the time. The first white wines were made in wood was in the 1980’s and by the time Lorenzo started his career he switched over using Slovenian and French barrels.
The rest is history and the wines of Lorenzo are captivating and not only because of his style but the taste is one of terroir and are distinctive and his wife is awesome and they live what they preach.