INTERVIEW WITH A WINEMAKER - Fabio Ratto - Prato al Pozzo

Q. Tell us about yourself, why and when did you decide to become a winemaker?

A. The world of wine has always aroused a strong charm in me since I was a boy. Well before tasting my first wine, I used to observe with great interest those gestures that wine connoisseurs made.

Q. If you had to use three words, which one will you use to describe your work?

A. Fascinating, always new, and challenging.

Q. What is your biggest fear during the entire vine cycle?

A. They are two, the first in the field for the risk of hail which in few minutes can compromise a year's work. The other is in the cellar for the perfromance of the fermentation phase.

Q. What makes you happy about your job?

A. The contact with nature, the fact that you never get bored, the thrill of tasting wines in constant evolution and tasting old vintages with the public.

Q. What was the most important moment in your career as a winemaker?

A. Working for Antinori and receiving international awards on the wines I produced with my wife. 

Q. What is your vision on organic, biodynamic, and sustainable?

A. Adopting a way of production that respects nature is the key to obtain balanced and healthy wines. 

Q. What do you do to preserve the planet?

A. Since before the word sustainability was so popular, we have adopted a production system that has the environment at heart.

Q. If you had to use three words, which one would you use to describe your wines?

A. Harmonious, pleasant, and authentic. 

Q. Why are your wines different from your direct competitors?

A. For all the above!

Q. Among your wine, which one are you most fond of? What makes you proud? And why?

A. Piede Rosso, Cabernet Sauvignon in purity, because I managed to dominate the Maremma territory over the power of this grape variety.

Q. What was the highest moment in your career as a winemaker?

A. To be in charge of "The Brunello Project" for Antinori, the largest Italian wine family.