Francesco has been working on the Tenuta Foresto project since 2016 when he bought a half-abandoned farm not far from Nizza Monferrato in Piedmont. The farm had not been actively cultivated for many years and was a perfect place to start something new. After a visit, one understands how happy he was finding this place. The house is alone at the top of a hill, surrounded by its own vineyards, with forest all around that isolates it from the industrial wine production in other parts of Piedmont. During the years spent searching for a farm, he was partly active with other established natural wine farmers. After finding his own base, he immediately began to make wines on a small scale from the typical Moscato, Barbera, Dolcetto, and Cortese grapes of the area.
The vineyards are mostly exposed south-southwest. They are grown in accordance with organic and sustainable farming methods. Francesco seeks a comprehensive approach, to create an ecosystem that allows a low anthropic impact. He relies entirely on techniques that strive to preserve the soil's fertility and biodiversity. All the wines from Tenuta Foresto are made more or less the same way. The grapes are handpicked from their vines where they have been allowed to grow undisturbed without the involvement of chemical fertilizers or pesticides before being carefully transported to the cellar located in the middle of the vineyards.
In terms of winemaking, the inspiration comes from local traditions. All wines, both white and red, are placed in 35-50 hl wooden or cement tanks and spontaneous fermentation takes place in contact with the grape skins. After fermentation, storage takes place in large barrels for just under a year. No filtration or clarification of any kind and without any additions of sulfur. Francesco's main goal is to produce wines that are a true expression of the grape type and terroir.
