Pope Leo XIV formally opened Borgo Laudato Si, a 55-acre sustainable farming operation, last September. Located within the grounds of the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, Lazio, the project also includes a 2ha organic vineyard planted exclusively to Cabernet Sauvignon.
This week it was revealed that the vineyard’s first vintage has produced 5,000 bottles of wine, with Pope Leo XIV visiting to bless the site, and even raising a glass of red in honour of the occasion.
It is hoped that in future, the annual production of Borgo Laudato Si could reach 15,000 litres (around 20,000 75cl bottles), though the official Laudato Si office told the drinks business that “production remains experimental and in development.”
Regenerative agriculture
The focus of Borgo Laudato Si is on organic farming and regenerative agriculture, with ‘smart’ irrigation systems installed throughout, which use AI to administer only the necessary amount of water to avoid wastage. Olive oil, herbal tea and cheese are all be produced on-site and are sold to visiting members of the public (often school groups), with wine production also forming part of the equation.
Help came from the University of Udine in Friuli, which specifically designed the vineyard to be resistant to pests and diseases in order to help limit the use of pesticides. And according to Borgo Laudato Si’s director Cardinal Fabio Baggio “all production goes through “a short supply chain system, well below the traditional zero kilometre.”
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