How to read our icons

• 

  Biodiversity

  The nearby woodlands offer access to the vineyards for the beneficial insects that live there, such as ladybirds, which are of crucial importance as they prey on other insects that harm the vines. Thanks to the ORGANIC farming techniques, chemical under-vine weed control is shunned, a fundamental move if damage to the vine sap is to be avoided and soil erosion prevented. The strategy also permits a massive presence of spontaneous herbs and grasses in the vineyard, a phenomenon ascertained by the University of Udine in its study of the estate's territory. Aquila del Torre is very much a Natural Oasis where grape growing and nature coexist in harmony.

• 

  Flysch Soil

  Soil at Aquila del Torre comprises flysch, alternating strata of 45 million year-old Eocene marls and sandstones. This soil was once at the bottom of the sea and the lagoon. Over time, it came to form the hills where the Aquila del Torre vineyards now stand. The process is crucial because the vines sink their roots into the soil, extracting a wealth of minerals and imbuing the wines with savouriness and an intrinsic freshness.

• 

  Winds

  The mountain chain of the Julian Alps lies behind the vineyards at Aquila del Torre, providing protection from the cold northerly winds. Warms winds blow constantly from the opposite direction, ensuring constant ventilation between the rows which means healthy plants and, in summer, healthy grapes.

• 

  Hills

  The slope on which the vines stand is considerable so the terraces are single-row only to ensure optimal exposure to sunshine for each plant. Since the grapes receive a uniform amount of sunlight, full ripeness is guaranteed. The extreme steepness of the hillsides means that all operations in the vineyard have to be carried out very carefully by hand in what is a fine example of heroic viticulture.