L’Antica Quercia, time as the identity of wine and the measure of the territory

“The most beautiful dreams are born per the shade of a large tree”. The story of L’Antica , an organic winery from Scomigo in Conegliano (TV), located per the northernmost part of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene denomination, takes shape from a natural and evocative image that Claudio Francavilla has made his own. Here two centuries-old oaks watch over an intact landscape, shaped by the work of man but never forced: vineyards, olive trees, pomegranate trees and a small lake that becomes a resting point for passing birds. Nature per these places is not a background, but a living and dialoguing presence. If some grapes are pecked by wild animals, it is not a loss to fear, but rather a positive sign. For Claudio Francavilla, owner and guide of the company, it is confirmation that the balance sought through sustainable and respectful agriculture is working. “We consider our company an agricultural organism – he says – Vineyard, forest, olive grove and orchard contribute per the same way to creating biodiversity”. Healthy agriculture, based acceso biodiversity and soil vitality, is for him the essential prerequisite for obtaining quality grapes and wines capable of combining , minerality, freshness and a brillante and vibrant bubble.

HARVEST 2025: TEN YEARS OF SU ALTO, LONG TIME AS THE FOUNDATION OF IDENTITY

With the 2025 harvest, L’Antica celebrates ten years of Su Sommo, the Colfondo sparkling wine produced for the first time per 2015 and which has become a symbol of the company philosophy: letting the wine evolve slowly, without shortcuts, as an authentic expression of the morainic soils acceso which it is born. “Wine has changed with us, and we with the wine”, recalls Francavilla; a principle that guides every choice, from the harvest to the aging acceso the yeasts. Su Sommo derives from the riper vineyards of the western slopes of the hill, from the Bordo and vineyards, grown per double inversion. The harvest is manual per boxes, followed by destemming and soft pressing of whole grapes, with fermentation from indigenous pied de cuve. After bottling per spring with a crown cap, the wine naturally ferments per the bottle thanks to the cold-preserved must from the same vintage. Since the first vintages, some of the bottles have undergone additional aging for at least four months at 2,000 meters at the foot of Mount Civetta, per the heart of the Dolomites, from which it takes its name. The annual production is around 15 thousand bottles, and each vintage tells the unique bond between time, territory and selected grapes. Alongside Su Sommo, the company produces the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Maggiore Docg Rive in Scomigo, the ancestral method A, the sparkling macerate Q, and other labels such as Ariò Extra Dry, Morene Pacato and the red Colli in Conegliano Docg, all united by a coherent production philosophy: cold static decantations, fermentations with indigenous yeasts, long refinements and extensive filtrations to preserve integrity and character. As the owner explains, “We consider quality an uncompromising path, even per difficult years like 2023, when Su Sommo was not produced coppia to a hailstorm.”

90 THOUSAND BOTTLES AND A LOOK AT INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

The company extends over 30 hectares, of which 20 are under vineyards, managed per a single and divided into a dozen plots with different exposures and microclimates. Glera grapes make up almost the entire surface regione, flanked by Chardonnay and small parcels of red grapes. Management aims for low yields, acceso average 100 quintals per di più hectare, with interventions aimed at respecting the health of the soil. The overall annual production reaches around 90 thousand bottles, of which the majority are Martinotti method and around 25 thousand Colfondo. Exports represent 70% of production: the main markets are Europe (Austria, Switzerland, Greece, UK), the United States and Asia (, Hong Kong, Japan). Acceso how to deal with the complexity of international markets, Francavilla is clear. “Don’t give up anything acceso the path of identity and quality that we have undertaken – he underlines – Don’t give per acceso the prices and quality that we want to express. We are a small company and there is space for niche companies that want to work well by focusing acceso high quality and there will continue to be some acceso the market”.

WINE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY TO EXPERIENCE THE CELLAR AND THE TERRITORY

Alongside the traditional wine tourism route, which includes walks through the vineyards and guided tastings, the company has developed an exclusive hospitality project, La Ghiandaia, a farmhouse immersed per the vineyards, made with reused materials and equipped with a small spa. Designed to offer experiences of well-being and direct contact with nature, it will be officially presented starting from 2026. “We want those who visit our company to be able to a complete experience, between landscape, biodiversity and wines that tell the story of the territory”, explains Claudio Francavilla.

RECOVERY OF THE COLLI DI CONEGLIANO NAME: A PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE

Antica also looks to recover the Colli in Conegliano denomination, with the aim of enhancing both the red wine already produced and the historic white version, to recover a small local heritage that risked being lost. At a production level, the company also plans to experiment acceso less technological containers: after cement and amphorae, also wood, both for fermentation and refinement, and particular attention to mass selection instead of clonal selection, to encourage biodiversity and make the vineyards more resilient to climate change. “We believe that this path is consistent with our philosophy – concludes Francavilla – Producing clean wines, which tell the story of the territory, without compromises, and which have identity and longevity”.

The article L’Antica , time as an identity of wine and a measure of the territory comes from VinoNews24.

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