SUSTAINABILITY
Since 1141, the Ricasoli family has been inextricably linked to Brolio and its lands, an unspoiled corner of central Tuscany, in the heart of Chianti Classico, where the purity and beauty of the landscape are the result of hard and skillful work, carried out generation after generation. Aware of its role as guardian of the integrity of this extraordinary territory for future generations, Ricasoli aims at producing quality wines that are increasingly respectful of the environment.
The goal is to always improve. From this perspective, the Certification is not an objective but an important step in a concrete and constant commitment that has ancient roots but also an eye to the future. We have chosen the Equalitas Certification standard which, in addition to the environmental sustainability, it also stresses the ethical, social and economic aspects which are equally important to us.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
For many years, Ricasoli has been practicing an increasingly nature-friendly agriculture. We have kept away from chemical weeding and pesticides and opted for systems of fertilization and parasite control that are even stricter than the principles of organic farming.
The 1,200 hectares of the property are a hymn to biodiversity: 70% of this large area is covered with woods and Mediterranean scrub characterized by an extraordinary variety of animal and plant species. A huge green lung that is maintained today as in the past, following a centuries-old tradition.
While in the woods lives a rich fauna that thrives thanks to the healthiness of the environment, the sustainable practices in the vineyard favour the presence and work of pollinating insects and that of microorganisms and invertebrates, which enrich the soils.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Ricasoli is today the first employer in its county, Gaiole in Chianti. The resources and skills employed in the company are almost exclusively local, thus, the communities living in either the countryside or some isolated nearby places are kept alive. The stories of entire families are intertwined with those of the company and, time and again, crafts and professions have been handed down, like a passing of the baton, from parents to children.
The love for the territory where the Ricasoli family has its roots, furthermore reflects in the scrupulous care of the man-made landscape of Brolio and its peculiarities, in full respect of the local ancient peasant culture and of the Chianti tradition, such as the gravel roads, the cypress-lined alleys and the dry stone walls –listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
With this in mind, we encourage sustainable tourism: the call of Brolio Castle and its wines brings every year thousands of visitors from all over the world. We are committed to offering them an authentic experience of the territory, a truly enriching exchange with the places they visit and their inhabitants, from slow tourism to the tasting of wines and 0km food.
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY
Over the past twenty years, the company’s careful investment policy, supported by a careful management control, has largely been focused at improving the company’s environmental sustainability standards.
Ricasoli today wants to continue its sustainability path by involving all its stakeholders, both internal and external, because sustainability is a shared responsibility. A source of great pride is the excellent relationship with employees. It is the Brolio people who make Ricasoli what it is, through their active participation in the company life. Also the selection of the supply chain takes place on the basis of the best skills and the common approach towards the issue of sustainability and aims at lasting relationships based on mutual respect. No less important is the communication to the final consumer of the added value of all the key steps that make our wines a product of great quality and sustainable at the same time.
