The southern part of Tuscany bordering onto Latium also has a rich wine-growing tradition reaching back to the Etruscans and beyond. They were great agriculturalists and during the first millennium BC developed a highly advanced wine culture, trading their produce with the Greeks. This in its turn led to the introduction of Greek grape varieties into Italy. The Etruscans vanished in the mist of time while their wine culture has survived. Several years ago Rainer Loacker acquired another very promising wine estate in the heart of old Etruria in the province of Grosseto: Valdifalco. It is located between Alberese and Collecchio in the commune of Magliano in Toscana. The name meaning "Valley of the Falcon" alludes to the fact that the area was famous for falconry in medieval times. The Valdifalco estate is bordered by Via Aurelia road to the south, the 'La Selva' wine estate to the east, extensive woodland to the north and to the west by the two hectares of vineyard owned by our neighbours, the Fusini family.It is located in a beautiful position among rolling hills where 12 hectares of vines were planted amidst olive groves in spring 2000. A further 11 hectares of vines will be planted there in 2001. The climate here is distinctly Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and the area is protected from the sea by the hilly landscape of the "Uccellina" The soils provide an excellent prerequisites for quality wine production, being red and loamy with a high iron content, while the upper sites are characterised by marl. The vines are spur pruned on the wire frame, guyot trellising method and the rows ascend the hillsides vertically, though in places also cross them horizontally. Earth, sun, wind and sea are the real protagonists in crafting thes wines, while the human element is charactrised by principles of biological wine growing which are common to all Loacker wine estates. Depending on the characteristics of individual sites such as the microclimate, exposition, altitude and steepness of the terrain the following varieties are planted: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Primitivo. We will have to wait until 2004 for the first Valdifalco "Morellino di Scansano" to appear, though patience is a virtue of both winegrowers and wine lovers.

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