San Biagio Vecchio

The San Biagio Vecchio winery is a young, small producer in the Romagna region of Italy, located on the beautiful hill from which it takes its name, about halfway between the towns of Faenza and Forlì. Andrea Balducci, having abandoned his studies in Law, decided to return to the world he had known as a child thanks to his grandfather and took over the reins of the business in 2004, taking over from Don Antonio Baldassari, who was the parish priest and winemaker of San Biagio. Since 2008 Andrea has been running the winery with the help of his wife Lucia Ziniti and has breathed new life into a historic plot of land on the hills of Oriolo dei Fichi, carrying on the old family traditions.

The vineyards of San Biagio Vecchio extend over 11 hectares on soils composed of yellow sands, which are typical of the area. The vines cultivated are mainly Albana, Malvasia Aromatica, Trebbiano Romagnolo, Sangiovese and Centesimino. These grapes are mostly native and characteristic of the area, and in this corner of the land they have found the best conditions to give birth to unique expressions of great territorial attachment. The vines are trained to the Guyot system and, facing the sea, provide the backdrop for a seductive landscape. The breezes that rise from the Adriatic, the pleasant Romagna sun and the good range between night and day create a terroir that seems to have been designed by Mother Nature to cultivate grapes. Agricultural practices are based on tradition and the principles of organic agriculture, which has been certified since 2016. The Terbato vineyard stands out, at 500 metres from San Biagio Vecchio, with its steep, south-eastern exposure and rich sandy outcrops.

For the harvest, the grapes are selected by hand and transported in boxes to the cellar. Only indigenous yeasts are used for vinification and the general approach is to reduce the use of chemicals to a minimum both in the vineyard and in the cellar. According to Antonio, man must accompany the processes without intervening and without hindering the course of nature. This is the only way to produce wines that are true and territorial, that with every sip express the breath of the sea and the land of Romagna. Of all the products in the San Biagio Vecchio range, SabbiaGialla fully defines the winery, as it is made from the Albana grape from three separate harvests, vinified separately and blended at the end of fermentation. In short, the wines of San Biagio Vecchio are the most authentic reflection of the Romagna region, perfectly capturing a territory and faithfully conveying it in liquid form.