The Terroir.
The Galardi vineyards face south-west towards the Gulf of Gaeta and sit at 500 metres above sea level on the slopes of the Roccamonfina volcano.
Although the volcano is now extinct, it is thanks to its activity dating back to between 630,000 and 50,000 years ago that the surrounding land is fertile and rich in mineral salts. The first volcanic activity was characterised by the emission of leucite-bearing lava while the second and last by basaltic lava. The soil is rich in silt and clay and its rocky composition is a perfect conduit for the springs formed as a result of the volcano’s activity.
Exposure towards the sea ensures constant cool breezes that foster viticulture, particularly in wetter seasons and vintages.
The surrounding environment is rich in biodiversity: olive groves, fruit trees, wild crops and extensive chestnut groves that provide the soil with valuable nutrients make it particularly fertile and create a favourable condition for the ecosystem.
While the terroir itself is obviously beneficial to wine production thanks to both the abundance of water and minerals and the constant natural air conditioning, in the winery we adapt the process to wet and hot vintages.
Paying utmost attention to the vines and monitoring the climate is fundamental. In hot years we defoliate less and select nearer harvest time when the bunches are overly concentrated. In rainy periods, on the other hand, the work intensifies with the cleaning of the vines and the green pruning, always accompanied by the threat of humidity.
From pruning to harvesting, our role is to preserve the quality of the grapes that end up in the winery. To achieve this, bunch selection is a key step; we leave 1 bunch per vine; 4-6 bunches per plant.
At Galardi, we use the spurred cordon training system. We adopt grassing and green manure practices to keep an already mineral-rich soil constantly fertile. We do not irrigate thanks to the presence of springs in the subsoil and we follow the dictates of organic farming thus also protecting the surrounding crops.
