Plani Arche are certified organic and biodynamic wines from a small artisan winery in Umbria by Roberto and Elena Di Filippo. Roberto and Elena run their winery business on the Martani hills, located in the DOC region of Montefalco.
Their wines are of a strong and sometimes difficult nature, such as Sagrantino, or complex and earthy like Grechetto. From the very beginning, the vines have been cultivated organically, and biodynamic cultivation was also introduced some years ago. “…we have been cultivating the vines for two generations. We sell the wines we produce and live from those alone, devoting ourselves to this and no other work. We are true vintners.”
The Di Filippos use literal workhorses to plough the fields and avoid the soil compression that results from 2+ ton tractors, but the sacrifice, for Roberto, has been more than in speed of farming…his leg has been broken not once but TWICE by a horse kick. It tells you how devoted he is to his horses and how close to the action he is.
The name of the winery, “Plani Arche,” is the Latin name of a local shrine (“Pian d’Arca”) which is considered the spot where St Francis of Assisi gave his famous “Sermon to the Birds.” That outreach beyond humans aligns perfectly with Roberto’s holistic approach to farming; he follows the teachings of Masanobu Fukuoka.
These are wines of the Umbrian land and Roberto and Elena DiFilippo’s soul. Their purity, complexity and unique character are an inspiration.
