The love for the territory and a long family history in the wine industry, this is the common thread that connects Matilde Poggi to her label "Le Fraghe".
Experience, passion, and expertise are just elements that emerge from the story of Matilde Poggi, a winemaker for generations and president of CEVI. Her farm extends in the area of Rive del Garda, precisely in Cavaion Veronese, an extraordinary place where the generous land produces high-quality vineyards.
Matilde Poggi, you are the president of the European Winemakers. How did you welcome this appointment?
The appointment to the presidency of CEVI – Confédération Européenne des Vignerons Indépendants came in July 2021, after six years spent in the role of vice president alongside Thomas Montagne (who has led the association since 2011). In the context of a common path, it was important for me at that time to count on the trust of the European Independent Winegrowers and thus become the spokesperson for the interests of the Federations that are part of CEVI before the community institutions.
This appointment marked a milestone: for the first time, Italy is at the helm of an important confederation that voices the concerns of Independent Winegrowers in Brussels – strengthening its European nature. During my term, there have been and continue to be many challenges and priorities, primarily the defense of the fruit of our labor, wine, an agricultural product with cultural significance, always at the center of the Mediterranean diet; the direct relationship with consumers, and thus the free circulation of bottles of wine within the European Union, even regarding sales to private individuals; the bureaucratic simplification that, albeit in different ways from one country to another, heavily impacts the work of all European winegrowers.
She is part of a family of winemakers for generations. She tells us about her family history and what it means to her to be a winemaker?
My family settled here in 1880, coming from the inland region of Liguria. The vineyards and these landscapes are part of my life memories since childhood. Particularly vivid in my memory is the month of October when, after school, we would go grape harvesting; I have always been fascinated by this world marked by the seasons, and over time, the desire to be a part of it, to contribute – by listening to the vineyard and the land – to create my own wines has grown within me.
As the third of six siblings, with the support of our father, I started vinifying my grapes in 1984. Not having a predefined path, I felt free to explore and make wines that reflected my vision – for immediate drinking, very suitable for the table, and with a strong connection to the soil on which the vineyards sit – as well as the distinctive characteristics of the territory, without following the trends of the moment and focusing rather on maximizing the peculiarities of the grape varieties. My identity as a winemaker is therefore about listening to and observing the grape varieties that have always been here and this territory. I believe that listening must be accompanied by great respect for the grapes we cultivate. Therefore, I advocate for a minimally invasive winemaking approach.
What does it mean to be a female entrepreneur in the wine industry, which generally has a higher male presence? Have you ever encountered any difficulties?
I have been a winemaker since I was 22 years old, and back then there weren't many women producers. I had to face the challenge of being a woman and young, which meant working hard to be taken seriously, both in business and in the market. However, I have always felt supported by my father, who has always encouraged me and my siblings to move forward on our own path without fear, and it is this awareness that I strive to pass on every day to my daughters Marta, Irene, and Olga.
Today, in the world of wine, in addition to being a winemaker, I also have an institutional role; this allows me to engage with winemakers from many European countries and it is an experience that greatly expands my horizons.
What is the experiential connection between women and wine?
I believe that wine can be appreciated regardless of whether one is a man or a woman. And that the connection created is due to the different sensitivity of those who approach it. Curious people, guided by a careful approach and interested in discovering what is hidden in every glass and experiencing wine in its entirety by delving into production methods and wine regions, will appreciate it.
It is true that, in this moment of change in the approach to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, women are proving to be attentive consumers eager to deepen their knowledge of wine.
Its farm extends from the shores of Lake Garda, specifically in Cavaion Veronese, an area that benefits from a varied landscape of rivers, lakes, and mountains. Can you tell us what these places convey to you?
I love the landscape surrounding my business – Mount Baldo overlooking to the north, Lake Garda with a typically Mediterranean climate, the Valdadige along which the cool winds blow and have marked every moment of my life. I love the land, each meter different, brought here by the glaciers that carved the basin of the lake and the Adige valley in ancient times.
Guided by a passion for the surrounding environment, everything I do in the vineyard aims at respecting and conserving this unique and unrepeatable territory: respect for the land, a nature nurtured, respected, never forced, and organic farming of the vineyards since 2009.
My wines – an exclusive production of still wines, since 2021 exclusively with screw caps – represent the best that my land has to offer, with a strong imprint that comes from the particular climatic conditions of Lake Garda.
Matilde Poggi, what is the value you want to express with your brand "Le Fraghe"?
We produce wines from the grapes of our owned vineyards: I oversee the entire supply chain from the cultivation of the vineyards to the winemaking and commercialization of every bottle that leaves the company. This is a significant added value, the knowledge and care of each step right from the cultivation of the vines. When I started, 40 years ago, Bardolino was a well-regarded wine, and then over the years it lost its identity and favor with consumers, also due to the willingness of some in the supply chain to introduce new non-historical grape varieties. I have always sought to produce an identity wine, of high quality, and only when I know that I have done the best my land can offer am I satisfied. That said, 40 years is only 40 months of harvests, so the road ahead is still long.
We also find ourselves in one of the most suitable areas in Italy for the production of rosé wines; great attention is therefore given to Chiaretto di Bardolino, which is of particular elegance, freshness, and even longevity – a sincere expression of the variety and terroir. Ours is among the few Italian rosé wines to hit the market with longer aging, very enjoyable even after a few years in the bottle.
What does "aftertaste" mean to you?
The aftertaste for me is the memory of the wine, what it conveys to me and what settles in my experience.