Pizzolato Celebrates 40 Years

1981-2021 Pizzolato Celebrates 40 Years of Organic Farming

Our amazing winery partner from the Veneto region of Italy, Pizzolato celebrates 40 years of organic farming this year. Here is a blog from PIzzolato and Q&A with winemaker Settimo Pizzolato, reflecting on the past 40 years and his family legacy.

A future-driven story

“The most exciting moment for racing cyclists is not when they cross the finish line first. It is the very moment of the decision, when one decides to sprint”

We feel that this quote truly represents our excitement arising from the special achievement we are celebrating: our 40-year experience in organics, which has taken on a special meaning today more than ever before.

1981-2021. It is thanks to that turning point in 1981 – Settimo’s final sprint with his father – that we have been able to reach this goal: celebrating our 40 year commitment to organics. Undoubtedly these have been years laden with history: entire chapters that day by day until today have told the story about our company, its people, the choices made, our wines and grape varieties as well as about our research activity and the environment. We want to blow these 40 candles WITH YOU as we get ready for another sprint towards new exciting finish lines!

Settimo Pizzolato and his emotion-infused memories

Tell us about the leap ahead taken with your father that has brought you to reach this important milestone.

“I perfectly remember the days when a conversation with my father marked a new departure for our company. Back in December 1980 my father told me: “I am tired.” He had started to work at a very young age, when he was about 13, and as he was turning 60 he was starting to feel the heavy burden of responsibilities on his shoulders. “I would like you to support me with the management of the farm. I am beginning to lose my energy.” His words hit me like a ton of bricks. Yet, at the same time, they made me proud. The day after I accepted: “Dad, I have only one condition: that we get rid of all the chemicals we have been using so far. I will provide you with a detailed study of the results that an organically-driven chemical-free winery business can achieve.” – “Today I am grateful that our choice has turned out to be a winning one.”

Looking back, which one would you say is your best memory from these 40 years in organic farming?

“Without any doubt seeing my father’s eyes filled with joy as he saw the first truck that had come to collect the very first 4 pallets storing our certified organic wine, two of which were to be shipped to Mr. Sepp Angermeier while the other two were intended for Mr. Gerald Bartke, our two friends and customers with whom I still work today. This was back in 1994.”

Do you have a secret wish?

“After 40 years, I can say without hesitation that I am currently living one of my biggest dreams ever. I always bear in mind that my winery is the result of teamwork. And I still have many secret wishes. One is being able to welcome as many people as possible at the estate. I wish that the Pizzolato wine bar that we are going to open in the future, together with the existing winery, one day could become “the venues of wine” where our visitors can enjoy a true sustainable experience by TAKING THEIR TIME to fully get to know and enjoy our wines. It takes time to truly appreciate wine, as well as curiosity and dedication.”

Pizzolato Organic Winemaking

The Pizzolato family has proudly worked their land in the Veneto region for more than five generations, consistently living in harmony with nature and the environment. The winery combines five generations of farming history and tradition with a deep commitment to organic farming and wine production. This consideration of the natural world creates Italian organic DOC wines of the highest quality.

These are the strong roots of the Pizzolato family, upon which an entire philosophy was built. When Settimo Pizzolato joined the company alongside his father Gino, he progressively undertook production of Italian organic wines, among the first wine producers in Italy to do so. Thanks to his desire to maintain the balance of the countryside ecosystem and a commitment to fine organic wine production, in 1991 Settimo was able to obtain the official USDA organic certification. The resulting organic wines have a true taste of place, embodying the terroir on which they were born and a sense of the family’s commitment to live and farm in harmony with nature. The many wines of Pizzolato include quality DOC Proseccos that are the star of the region and the winery. The many wines of Cantina Pizzolato are Made with 100% Organically Grown Grapes and are Certified Vegan by the Vegan Society of the UK.