The SanMichele al Piano vineyards are located in the heart of the Oltrepò Pavese (Lombardy), almost exactly at 45º latitude N. The location is mentioned in documents dating back to year 1718, as “Bosco dei Pianori”.  As the name suggests, the location is on the flat part of a plateau at 370/400 metres above sea level, with most of the 13 hectares facing south/south-west. The soil is particularly suitable for Pinot Noir and aromatic varieties, such as Muscat and Malvasia. SanMichele al Piano share with the Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers (FIVI, partner of CEVI) the responsibility for the SanMichele territory and a strong commitment to sustainability. All the wines come from grapes organically grown within the estate, applying and perfecting the tradition and the experience of a family involved in agriculture for generations. The vines, about 4.000/hectare, are all trained with Guyot expallers and short-pruned following the protocols of the Italian School of Vine Pruning by Simonit&Sirch, with bunches thinned manually.  When time comes, individual grapes are selected and harvested by hand, then immediately brought to the cellar under low temperature, so as to bring out only the best quality. The SanMichele al Piano cellar is equipped with advanced technology. Quality protocols and security regulations, such as HACCP, are applied during the entire production cycle. The grapes are soft-pressed and the wine making process is conducted in steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The tanks are saturated with inert gases in order to maintain the freshness and flavour of the maturing wines, and their key parameters are frequently controlled by a certified laboratory. The red wines undergo an additional maturing cycle in wood for 18-24 months.  Bottling is done after microfiltration and in a controlled atmosphere, with a semi-automatic bottling machine.