The vine and wine museum

Viticulture in Italy has an incredible thousand-year history which has permeated almost every aspect of human life. Wine has conditioned our history and the economy. It has shaped landscapes and inspired creativity across the ages, from literature to art. It has even influenced religious thought. Our work today is the fruit of this long journey, notwithstanding the new demands of contemporary life.

This is why we feel it is important, as winegrowers, to contribute to the preservation and handing down of this incredible culture, to discover our roots, to awaken curiosity and to learn more.

The birth of the museum at Guado al Melo was made possible thanks to the enormous library and support of Professor Attilio Scienza. The museum path takes in the vineyard and the winery. We add something new every year. It is an exhibition that includes ancient vineyards, displays, panels, videos and exhibitions (including books and ancient tools). All explanatory texts are also provided in English.

Inside

  • Some descriptions of viticulture;
  • Ampelography;
  • How a terroir-expressive artisanal wine is made;
  • What is a sustainable wine?;
  • Time-line of the history of wine;
  • The vine and wine in religion;
  • The vine and wine in the history of art;
  • The historical evolution of vineyard management and winemaking;
  • Ancient books on oenology and viticulture;
  • The history of our growing area;
  • The Etruscans and wine.

External

  • The vineyards, using the most ancient systems of vine-training: the Etruscan vineyard (the “married vine”, trained to a tree, with wild Tuscan grapevines), the Egyptian pergola tunnel, the Greek bush-trained system;
  • The Genius Loci
  • The “Oscillum”, the Bacchus’ gaze on the vineyard

by Annalisa Motta

The Wine Library

Professor Attilio Scienza has amassed a vast library (some 15,000 volumes) on all aspects of wine culture, in many languages, reflecting a lifetime of work and passion: science, history, geography, sensory analysis, etc.  It is the heart of Guado al Melo for us and an inexhaustible source of knowledge. The library is available to us and students. It is the basis from which we created the wine museum.

The library also includes a rich collection of ancient texts on oenology and viticulture. Some of them are on display in the museum, especially those most significant for the history of wine.

by Annalisa Motta