Montalcino, 5 December 2007 - Wine and science, an inseparable pair when it comes to quality. Among the Italian wineries that were the first to understand the importance of entering into agreements with the country's most important universities, for the implementation of scientific research in the vineyard and cellar, is Castello Banfi, l'leading producer of Brunello di Montalcino.
Following the thread of its commitment to excellence, Banfi has now collected in a prestigious volume over 20 years of studies carried out in collaboration with the Universities of Milan and Pisa. The book deals thematically with the lines of applied research that have characterised the daily operations of Castello Banfi throughout its intense, albeit brief, history.
Presentation of the book: 'The Quest for Excellence
"La Ricerca dell'Eccellenza", a limited edition that will not be on sale but will become a precious Christmas gift for selected insiders in the world of wine, will be presented on 6 December in Rome, in the headquarters of the Enciclopedia Treccani, an authoritative and unusual location that only in very rare circumstances has opened its doors to the public.
Some of Italy's best-known oenology experts will be taking part in the event, such as Professor Attilio Scienza, Professor of Viticulture at the University of Milan, who will illustrate the important research that began at Castello Banfi in the early 1980s with his collaboration.
There will also be Professor Amedeo Alpi, lecturer at the University of Pisa; with Professor Sergio Miele of the Department of Agronomy of the same university, Castello Banfi has, in fact, signed a research agreement for years for the study of the main agronomic issues.
Professor Carlo Cannella, a renowned nutritionist, will talk about the relationship between wine and health: according to the most recent international discoveries, in fact, moderate wine consumption is considered an important element in the prevention of numerous pathologies. Finally, the philosopher Tullio Gregory will discuss the well-being of the modern age, with the important role played by wine in our diet.
Together with Enrico Viglierchio, general director of Castello Banfi, the authoritative professor Gian Tommaso Scarascia Mugnozza, president of the Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze, known as Accademia dei XL, will speak.
The meaning of the book
This book is meant to be an acknowledgement to all those who have contributed to the success of Castello Banfi, shaping a starting material, the Montalcino territory, that had great potential in itself, but little expressed and above all not recognised at world level.
The book deals with natural and genetic resources (climate, soils and landscapes of the estate's territory, viticultural zoning, clonal selection of Sangiovese, the wild grapevine and the origins of cultivated varieties), the evolution of production technology in the vineyard (agronomic soil management, stages in the estate's development of cultivation techniques, irrigation, weed control), the valorisation of grapes (wine aromas, the wood/wine relationship, the cellar seen in its development), and the Social Responsibility (with reference to the certifications obtained by Castello Banfi).
