Saladero Walter de Batte

The pure vigneron has to be met in the vineyard, to guard his lands and plants. But when the area where you work is not even known to the most passionate tasters and researchers, the vigneron must also carry the burden of spreading the culture of that territory wandering around the whole of Italy.

We met Walter De Batté on a evening organized by Senegallia's Enoforum. And the contents of his words have enticed us to write about Him and his earth.

Walter has thoroughly dissected history and anthropology, which today allow him to approach differently to the territorial conditions of Liguria. He is not born as a vigneron but works for a long time in the field of agriculture before creating his company in 1990-1991, aware of having to work in almost impossible conditions. In fact, the vineyards are located in the hills, with slopes up to 70% diving into the sea (you climb in the vineyards with a train). The geographical area is that of Riomaggiore in the province of La Spezia: here the small plots of land that do not exceed almost a hectare are cultivated with plants up 10000 to 12000 per hectar, to obtain 2000 -3000 kg of grapes and with the periodic problem Of the collapsing ground. It is up to him and his colleagues to restore the form and strength to the vineyards, guarding them with extreme fatique and little quantitative result.

There is a lot of quality. The vineyards are already accustomed to fight, the contribution of light, which in this corner of the world of incredible charm enlivens and energizes life. "The emotion lies in the skin," emphasizes Walter, who absorbs light. And from the nineties Walter leaves the white wines to macerate on the skins. A new interpretation that requires a choice from the first taste: getting carried and discovering the Mediterranean scrub in the glass or abandoning everything.