Elisabetta Foradori is a certified Biodynamic winegrower in Mezzolombardo, a village in the Trentino region of north Italy, in the Dolomites, close to the Austrian border. Azienda Agricola Foradori is in its fourth generation. The estate was built in 1901 by Elisabetta’s grandfather and has been run by the Foradori family from 1939. Elisabetta Foradori took over here in 1985 following her father who died very young and is a leading light of low intervention premium wines. The wines are bottled under the Vigneti delle Dolomiti denomination with a focus on the ancient local red variety, Teroldego.

Elisabetta is also a co-owner of the Ampeleia estate in the Maremma region of Tuscany. Following the footsteps of Elisabetta Foradori and Rainer Zierock, today their children Emilio, Theo and Myrtha Zierock continue in their footsteps.

Vineyards: 2015 24 hectares (59 acres) in total, of which 15 hectares (37 acres) were rented: 16 hectares (39.5 acres) of Teroldego, 3.5 ha (30 acres) of Nosiola and the remaining 4.5 hectares (11 acres) were Manzoni Bianco, a hybrid of Riesling and Pinot Bianco).

Biodynamic certification: 2002 Certified Biodynamic for the first time. 

Biodynamics–Why?: I asked Elisabetta Foradori what the catalyst was for her to go Biodynamic in 2000?” Her answer (telephone interview 14th October 2015) was: “Marc Kreydenweiss inspired me, but I also got a push from the father of my children [the late Rainer Zierock, a German writer and naturalist. Their children were born in 1988, 1990, 1991]. Rainer and I had separated. But his vision was to do with conservation. He was into Rudolf Steiner. He was key, even though there was a lot of conflict in our relationship.” So why, I asked, was she not influenced by Biodynamic wine-growers in Italy? “Maybe they were not so visible at this time. In winter I would go to France to learn about wine. In France Biodynamics was well advanced, and much more visible than it was in Italy. In France some really well-known and well respected estates were doing it. Maybe what was going on in France appeared more serious, less hippy-style, compared to Italy. My biggest regret about wine-growing in Italy right now is the lack of courage being shown so estates can make clear steps towards better farming. Doing 100% with their heart, not just doing it for fashion. Maybe deep down they don’t believe they can do it. It is hard to change 100%, and it is especially hard for the more famous estates. But in France the great estates have managed to do it, why not here in Italy?“

Biodynamics–The Next Generation: I asked Elisabetta Foradori what she would do if one of her children took over but wanted to return to conventional (‘chemical’) farming? Would she say “OK, I had my chance, I did it my way, now you do it your way?” Her answer (telephone interview 14th October 2015) was: “No, I have left a foundation stone in place here. We must continue this way. My children agree. To be Biodynamic you must feel it, live it. It is not just a list of things to do, to copy, to imitate without inner reflection. It must come from deep within you, this sensibility. Perhaps organics is easier than biodynamics in this sense.”

Biodynamic certification: 2009 First vintage with full Demeter Biodynamic certification. | 2018 Member of Renaissance des Appellations.

Winemaking: Red grapes are de-stemmed. Clay amphoras (‘giare’) from a potter in Villarobledo, Spain are used. These are kept above (rather than buried in the) ground.

White wines

Fontanasanta, Manzoni Bianco: 2013 Vigneti delle Dolomiti Bianco 54mg/l total SO2 (RAW Wine Fair 2015).

Fontanasanta, Nosiola: 2011 IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti Bianco The Nosiola grapes are destemmed. They ferment on skins in clay amphora. Very interesting, not floral, a bit of yeast, smoke and green fruit, quite intense and saline at Vinitaly 9th April 2013. | 2014 Very agreeable salinity (Real Wine Fair 2016).

Fuoripista, Pinot Grigio (Amphora): The name means ‘off-piste, off the beaten track’. | 2016 8 months on skins in clay amphora (‘giare’). Pinkish-looking, lovely flavour, freshness (Demeter Austria 2018 wine tasting).

Red wines

Teroldego, Sgarzon: Teroldego on warm soil (sand) in a cooler site. | 2014 Vigneti delle Dolomiti Rosso.

Teroldego, Morei: From 4.5ha of Teroldego on stony soil. | 2011 Vigneti delle Dolomiti Rosso. Fermented in amphora. Nice and sapid, ripe and clear, bright style, dense and ethereal (Vinitaly 9th April 2013). | 2014 100% Teroldego. Amphora. Lovely juicy fruit on palate (Real Wine Fair 2016).

Teroldego Rotaliano

Teroldego, Granato: 2011 Vigneti delle Dolomiti Rosso 48mg/l total SO2 (Catalogue for RAW 2015).

Bibliography

Demeter Austria 2018 wine tasting, Vienna 26th February.

Elisabetta Foradori, Telephone interview, 14th October 2015.

Isabelle Legeron MW, Natural Wine, An introduction to organic and biodynamic wines grown naturally (2014, Cico Books, London & New York).

Oz Clarke 2015, Oz Clarke Wine A-Z (Pavilion, 2015), p.119.

RAW Wine Fair 2015, London 17-18 May.

Real Wine Fair 2016, Tobacco Dock, London 17-18th April.

Contact

Azienda Agricola Foradori s.s.

Via Damiano Chiesa, 1

38017 Mezzolombardo (TN), Italy

Tel+39 0461.601046 | Website: www.agricolaforadori.com/en/