Canaiolo Nero usually gets blended into Chianti and forgotten. On the volcanic slopes above Lake Bolsena, three friends decided it deserved top billing.
Backstory
Il Vinco was founded in 2014 by three local friends, Daniele Manoni, Marco Fucini and Nicola Brenciaglia, in Montefiascone, in the province of Viterbo in northern Lazio. Manoni and Brenciaglia are olive-oil producers and Fucini a cattle breeder, so the project grew out of a shared agricultural life rather than a wine dynasty. The name comes from the pliable willow branch, the vinco, traditionally used to tie vines to their stakes.
The Region
The Il Vinco vineyards sit on the southern slopes of the volcanic crater that holds Lake Bolsena, at between 250 and 450 meters, on volcanic soils. It is part of the new wave of natural growers revitalizing Lazio's interior.
Vineyards and Farming
Il Vinco covers about five hectares, split roughly between two and a half hectares of old vines and the same again newly planted, with a clear mission to recover and champion the native Canaiolo Nero. The vineyards have been farmed biodynamically since 2017, using only small amounts of copper and sulfur.
Winemaking
After hand-harvesting, Il Vinco grapes are de-stemmed and gently pressed, then ferment spontaneously on their own yeasts in fiberglass tanks without temperature control, a quick fermentation of about five days. No other additions are used; the wines settle naturally for around four months in fiberglass, unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulfur.
The Wines
The Il Vinco flagship is Canajò, a rare monovarietal Canaiolo Nero, joined by bottlings such as the Mistione Rosato and Mistione Bianco blends and the Le Capannacce reds and whites. They are bright, fresh, drinkable wines that put a long-overlooked Lazio grape front and center.
