EMPIRE OF THE SENSES
Castello Luigi’s winning wines
by Karen Guthry
 In 1988 Luigi Zanini senior made a dream come true when he bought a small wine growing estate and established his new label, Castello Luigi. Zanini is a respected name amongst winegrowers in Ticino. The company, a father-and-son enterprise, incorporates the labels of Vinattieri Ticinesi — established in 1985 in Ligornetto, and the well-known Zanini vines — established in 1964, which Mr Zanini describes as ‘The aristocracy of Italian wines in Switzerland’.
Zanini’s wines enjoy a solid reputation based upon an uncompromising commitment to excellence. They were among the first wine-makers in Switzerland to utilize fermenting vats for the winemaking process, oak barrels (called barriques) for ageing the wine, and a special transferring technique that doesn’t require the use of electrical pumps.
Traditionally, Ticino is a wine growing area that benefits form a mild Mediterranean climate. Here, the noble Merlot grape from Bordeaux, has long established itself. The eight hectares of Castello Luigi produce, on average, a total of five thousand bottles each year, of which half is red Merlot and the other half is white Chardonnay. Both qualities, being produced in such small quantities, are available exclusively upon request. So it is with great enthusiasm that I accept an invitation to inspect the grounds of Castello Luigi, home of two great rare wines, and soon to be the new private residence of the Zanini family.
After exiting the freeway I head west towards the Italian boarder, driving through a string of country towns so small, the main road is barely wider than the station wagon. I drive through the hilly countryside, past the first vineyards and up a windy road to the top of a sunny hill by the name of Belvedere. I pass the main gate covered in an elaborate wrought-iron vine, and park on the graveled driveway. Overlooking the small empire is Castello Luigi, an architectural marvel. Resembling a miniature French chateau, the building in all its outlandish glory, is perched above the prized vineyards.
The PR manager envelops my fingers in a stout handshake and guides me into the cellar. Immediately the scent of fermenting juice floods my nostrils. The cellar is remarkable: a high-ceiling temple that houses an 18-meter deep helix, along the perimeter of which, the wine rests inside oak barrels. The system is Mr Zanini’s brainchild. In striving for perfection, the winemaking process at Castello Zanini borders on the obsessive. Every element of the winemaking process is aimed at minimizing stress to the wine. For this reason the wine is processed, stored and bottled, on the same grounds where it is grown. ‘Transport adds an element of stress to the wine,’ my guide assures me. ‘That would affect the taste.’
Even the vines themselves get special treatment. Each plant is allowed to yield only 300-400 grams instead of the one-kilogram allowed by D.O.C. standards. This ensures that each grape ripens attaining maximum aroma and flavor. After the harvest the grapes are poured into a huge wooden tub where they are pressed the old-fashioned way — meaning by foot. This labor-intensive process ensures that none of the seeds are pressed, thus affecting the wine. After the pressing is complete, the juice is stored inside wooden 400-liter fermentation vats. About three weeks later, the new wine is decanted into the oak barrels where it ages for 18 months.
‘The oak barriques are made to specification in France.’ My guide points at the rows of barrels arranged along the helical cellar. I peer down the shaft of the spiral. Even the floor is spotless. ‘Each barrique holds 225 liters and is sold after we bottle the wine.’ The helix system was conceived to permit the ‘free fall’ technique. This allows the wine to be decanted from one barrel to the next by utilizing the force of gravity. ‘Some people may think that the care we take in handling the wine is extreme. However, that’s exactly what ensures our wines beyond comparison.’
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