Organic, Solar-Powered Wines & Prosecco from Northern Italy – with Savian Wines

It’s always inspiring to meet someone who is doing good while they are doing well.  Such is the case of William Savian in the Veneto region of northern Italy – and his organic, solar powered – and delicious – wines!

Traditional “azienda vinicola” – except for the solar panels on the roof!

The Savian vineyard dates back to 1925, when William’s grandfather’s small plot of land produced wine for friends & Family.  Flash forward to 1990 when William’s father Arnaldo decided to expand and commercialize the vineyard.  Using conventional farming techniques he did indeed expand the production but over time became disturbed.  After 3 years he realized that he could no longer hear the hum of crickets and the chirps of frogs at night – the pesticides and herbicides had killed them all off.  Whatever they were doing to the land, was destroying the local wildlife.  And how could an agricultural business survive the destruction of its environment?

So in 1993 Arnaldo became a pioneer in transforming his wine production to be completely organic (certified by ICEA, Delinat and NOP).  And instead of the business suffering as a result, today it thrives – in Italy and around the world.

William, his mother Madame Savian, his father Arnaldo & Alessandro from Dialuce Wines

Actually, in Italy most consumers really only care that his wines (including standards like Merlot & Chardonnay,  sulfite-free wines, as well as wonderful regional specialties like Lison Classico and Refosco da Peduncolo Rosso) are of the highest quality.  But in other countries, starting from Germany, buyers took a second look at Savian’s wines in a saturated market because they are organic.

One of Savian’s outstanding organic proseccos made in the Charmat method.

And over time, William and his father decided to go a step further than organic and make the vineyard solar-powered.  With the amount of sun shining in Italy, this was a great choice for Savian wines, and the savings in their consumption of ever more expensive power makes this also a savvy business  move too.

This central console shows the solar power production and usage of the vineyard.

Today’s Savian’s wines are sold all around the world, including Germany, Canada and Brazil and have won awards and fans in a multitude of categories. But one of the greatest indicators of success was for William seeing his kids be able to play around the vineyard, and to not worry about the health hazards of pesticides and chemicals.  We even saw a snake in a ditch on the property while we were there.

In Ontario, Savian’s extraordinary wines can be ordered through Le Caviste or you can contact Alessando Dialuce for worldwide availability.