Il Palagio is located above the picturesque Tuscan town of Figline Valdarno, in the triangle between Florence, Siena and Arezzo. When Sting and his wife acquired the estate in 1998, it was in danger of falling into disrepair. The villa, its guest houses, vineyards and olive groves were lovingly restored by Sting and Trudie. The entire estate with its olive groves and vineyards covers around 360 hectares. Since taking over the estate, a clear focus has been placed on sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming. To this end, Sting and Trudie sought advice and support from various wine experts. Wine has been grown on the Il Palagop estate since the mid-16th century. But it was Sting and Trudie's love of 'winemaking' that brought the historic vineyard back to life.
In the context of collaboration with wine experts, Alan York should be mentioned. His expertise and the "reduced" biodynamic principles were the basis for viticulture immediately after the takeover. Below we mention two of Alan's four principles.
1. To create as closed a system as possible in terms of nutrients. A farm property has the ability in its own sphere to become a thriving ecosystem and a productive farm if it is supplied with nutrients and addressed with treatments and practices from biodynamic principles. Livestock is included as an "in-house" nutrient supplier, and a reusable water source is created and maintained on the property.
2. Creating a landscape ecology, i.e. a diversity of species on the property (as opposed to monocultures). The main question here is what plants and animals (predators and prey alike) can thrive on this piece of land. This includes alternating cover crops and trees to attract birds and insects, which in turn help to build a unique ecosystem.
Sting and Trudie have also brought another expert on board for Il Palagio's wines. Riccardo Coltarella, one of Italy's best-known "Flying Winemakers", has been advising the Il Palagio winery since 2020. Riccardo Cotarella is one of the most sought-after consultants & is considered a pioneer in the Italian wine industry. His credo of preserving the natural grape aromas with moderate acidity to enable optimum drinking pleasure is also evident in Sting's wines. . The red wine "Message in a Bottle" made from Sangiovese is extremely harmonious and impresses with a bouquet of sour cherries and some red currants. At the same time, there are spicy aromas on the palate with a lovely juiciness
The wines from the Il Palagio estate are named after well-known songs by Sting. For example, the classic Chianti bears the name "WHEN WE DANCE". An outstanding cuvée from the Il Palagio estate is called "SISTER MOON". The harmonious red wine made from Sangiovese, which is available in our store, bears the well-known title "MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE".
