"Mixed" or "promiscuous" farming

At Il Poggione, we believe in "mixed" or "promiscuous" farming ("promiscuo" in Italian). We feel that it is important for different types of crops to co-exist side-by-side with our vineyards and that livestock should also be bred on the estate. In our opinion, this is a very important element in the "terroir" of Brunello di Montalcino. Many producers plant vines wherever they can but we feel that traditional grains (that we use to feed our livestock) and olive trees should also be considered a indispensable part of the winemaking process. The olive tree above is a 200-years-old olive tree that lies not far from Il Poggione's oldest vineyard of Sangiovese, our top cru, I Paganelli. This ancient tree still bears fruit that is used to make Il Poggione extra-virgin olive oil.