An in-depth analysis of the Foradori family’s agricultural vision.
n the world of contemporary wine, there are some who do not merely produce labels but leave deep furrows in the way we think about agriculture.
The Foradori winery, rooted in the Campo Rotaliano since 1939, is the symbol of a revolution that has successfully combined technical rigor with a spiritual vision of the land.
From the intuitions of Elisabetta Foradori to the contemporary management of her children Emilio, Theo, and Myrtha, the history of this cellar is a treatise on resilience and the search for purity.
Elisabetta Foradori || Credits: ForadoriCampo Rotaliano and the Revival of Teroldego
The Campo Rotaliano is an alluvial plain nestled between the rocky walls of the Trentino Alps. Here, Teroldego has found its ideal habitat, but it was only thanks to the massal selection launched in the 1980s that this grape variety regained its nobility.
Campo Rotaliano | Credits: Foradori
Elisabetta Foradori understood that to make "true" wine, one had to return to the plant.
By eliminating productive clones and recovering the genetic diversity of old vines, she allowed Teroldego to return to being a faithful interpreter of the soil. It was no longer a muscular, standardized red, but a vertical, profound wine capable of an unexpected "luminosity."
The philosophy of subtraction: amphorae and neutrality
One of the pillars of Foradori’s identity is the use of Tinajas. These terracotta amphorae from Villarrobledo are not an aesthetic whim, but a technical tool of precision.
Unlike wood, terracotta is an inert material that does not impart aromas. However, its porosity allows for constant micro-oxygenation.
This balance enables long macerations (up to 9 months for the Nosiola Fontanasanta) in which the wine can mature without interference, preserving intact the energy of the fruit and the mineral sapidity derived from the clay-limestone soils.
Tinajas | Credits: Foradori
Rainer Zierock and the genetic legacy: "Viti da Seme" and Yorgo
One cannot talk about Foradori without mentioning the influence of Rainer Zierock, Elisabetta’s partner and a visionary agricultural thinker. He was responsible for the most radical experiments, which his children continue to nurture today as a living treasure.
Viti da Seme (Vines from Seed): This is perhaps the winery's most philosophical project. In a world of clonal viticulture, Foradori planted vines propagated directly from seed. Since every seed is unique, every vine in this plot is a genetically different individual. It is a celebration of extreme biodiversity—a polyphony of expressions that guarantees the vineyard's resilience over time.
The Georgian Influence: Yorgo, produced from Georgian varieties (Saperavi, Rkatsiteli) planted in the 1990s, represents the bridge between Caucasian tradition and Trentino—a tribute to the very roots of global viticulture.
The future on Basalt: from Rotaliano to Monte Baldo
The family's research does not stop at its historical roots. In recent years, the acquisition of land on the slopes of Monte Baldo has opened a new frontier: basalt.
Moving from the alluvial soils of Campo Rotaliano to the volcanic soils of Baldo has allowed them to explore new vibrations.
This is the birthplace of wines like Manzoni Basalto and the new Miko Flor project (Teroldego vinified as a white), where the grape’s typical structure blends with a taut, sharp volcanic sapidity. The name Miko Flor is a tribute to the microbial "flora" of the soil—an invisible but fundamental element that biodynamics seeks to preserve and stimulate.
What "living wine" means
For Foradori, wine is the result of an ecosystem in balance.
The Demeter certification (obtained in 2009) is merely the frame of a larger picture that includes the integration of animals, the care of neighboring woodlands, and an absolute respect for natural cycles.
A Foradori wine is never identical to itself. It is a fragment of time and earth, a liquid that continues to evolve and breathe even once uncorked, carrying with it the rigor of those who chose to listen to nature instead of dominating it.
An opportunity to dive deeper
If you wish to discover these stories directly from the protagonists, Emilio Foradori will be the guest at our Agriturismo on Monday, May 25th at 6:00 PM for the opening of the Lunedì del Vigneron.
A moment of technical and human exchange to taste six iconic labels from this journey, including the absolute preview of Micoflor 2024.
More information on the tasting here
