Ajola Pic Nic 2022

Ajola is a small farm made up of vines and olive groves situated in the rolling hills between Orvieto and Bolsena, at the crossroads of Umbria, Lazio and Tuscany.

Jacopo Battista and Patricia Nelson farm five and a half hectares of vines up to seventy five years old planted over sandy loam of volcanic origin. Having worked for many years for Gianmarco and Clementine of Le Coste and Antonio and Daniela of Cantina Giardino respectively, Jacopo and Patricia started Ajola in 2012, guided by both a respect for the way the land was tended by the contadini of old and a desire to contribute to a new community of regenerative farming in the area.

Their charming, rustic and easily drinkable wines are the result of experimentation with the varieties traditionally grown in their area which are mainly Trebbiano, Toscano, Verdello, Malvasia Toscana, Sangiovese and Aleatico.

Each year they produce around ten different wines: red, white and sometimes rosé or sparkling. Different vessels made from fiberglass, stainless steel, French oak, Italian chestnut, clay and concrete are experimented with both for fermentation and aging so that an understanding can be gained of the best way to express the region’s grapes and landscapes.

In recent times, Jacopo and Patricia have gravitated towards field blends, trusting nature to find harmony. This is "vini contadini" – wine made like the farmers from previous generations did who cultivated their land with conscience and respect.