The Vineyards
Colle Verde produces 100% of the grapes used in its wines in its own vineyards located in Matraia, an area included in the appellation ‘Colline Lucchesi’ (Hills of Lucca). The 35-acres of vines lay on a wide valley dropping from 984 to 328 feet above sea level.
Shielded by the Apennine Mountains from the harsh Tramonte winds blowing down from the North, the estate’s vineyards benefit from a distinctive microclimate further mitigated by mild breezes blowing off the Mediterranean sea which lies just 17 miles to the West. The present boundaries of the vineyard was first laid out in 1948, and it has since undergone 2 major replantings: currently the vineyard is planted primarily with S.Giovese and Trebbiano grapes which are both representative of Tuscany most traditional grape varietals. Additional varieties include Syrah and Chardonnay - grapes that have both become ‘traditional’ in the area since they were introduced to Lucca by Napoleon about 200 years ago - and Grechetto,a white grape whose origins go back to the Etruscan Age and is primarily used to produce our ‘Vinsanto’.
The location for each variety is determined by the physical characteristics of the land: sandy And pebbly soils for the whites,clayey and loamy soils for the reds.