Jacopo Stigliano
You might have noticed there is not much you can find on Jacopo Stigliano online. No official website, very little activity on his social media, you cannot even find him on the map! This is because he keeps very busy in his vineyard, pruning, chopping wood, picking apples, and above all, harvesting his grapes. It is quite a bit of work for one person – Jacopo works on his own, taking care of the parcel of 100 years old vines. On top of that, he is pouring his energy into the 6ha parcel that he bought last year.
He hadn’t always worked alone though. Before Jacopo set out on a journey of a solo winemaker, he spent years educating himself in wine, taking a sommelier course at the age of 16, and representing the wine producers of Northern Italy as a member of a wine consortium. It was also during this time that Jacopo spent a lot of time in Berlin, helping the natural wine scene, which was in its infancy then, grow. We met Jacopo then, and learned about other amazing wine producers of Emilia-Romagna and Veneto regions, such as Ernesto Cattel, Alex Della Vecchia, Franco Terpin and others. After a long time working at the consortium, he decided it was the time to settle down and root somewhere with the possibility of building his own story and project. He did so around Monte San Pietro in 2018, when he rented a parcel of vines that you know from the Buriana and Lauv vintages.
The vines that gave fruit to Buriana and Lauv are some of the traditional varieties grown in northern Italy, some of them counting up to 100 years of age. Part of Jacopo’s vineyard is tree-supported, meaning the vine grows with the support of a tree next to it, mingling with its branches and the crown. Jacopo vineyard is really a part orchard. As the Italian tradition has it, there is a great variety of grapes grown together - a field of varieties that are also harvested, fermented and vinified as a blend. Jacopo believes that the variety that grows in the vineyard shows later on in the bottle. His vines are also nourished by the mix of clay and limestone soils, with stones evidently present. The wines we know from Jacopo always show an amazing minerality, thanks to this terroir.
Arriving at Jacopo’s vineyards, you realise the energy and focus it must require from a single person to produce wine here, on a wild piece of land. Apart from the rented parcel, Jacopo has been taking care of the new, 6ha parcel since last year. Here, 2,5ha are dedicated to vines, while another hectare has some old cherry trees growing. There is a vignification space, a few truffle trees, and a little spring running through the semi-wild plot spreading behind it, where Jacopo grows grains for the farm animals. From there on, hills and mountains start to form a valley. Despite the success he is achieving working with the old vines, it is the new parcel that will ensure the continuity of his wines. It is here that Jacopo will ensure the handover from the ‘older generation’ of vines to the younger one. Similarly, Jacopo represents such a transition in winemakers for us.
The love of the terroir and the traditions that Jacopo holds a deep respect for translate into a biodiversity across all levels and stages of his vineyard and farm. We appreciate every moment we get to spend in the company of Jacopo and his family, as it is always a warm welcome, and our bellies usually rejoice, too.
In short, Jacopo’s dedication makes his wines and their presence at Rocket very special. Being aware of how much work goes into producing these wines, and what determination they require, the fact we get our hands on some of those bottles makes us excited. We are looking forward to his future experiments and new varieties he may plant on his small parcel.