These days, in the vineyards, the vines already boast fully formed bunches of grapes. This is the time of the year when the grapes grow and slowly start to change colour, abandoning their green appearance. While we follow this growth in the vineyard, step by step, we’re also getting ready in the cellar. A few years ago we launched a project called “Non svendere le tue uve” [Don’t undersell your grapes]. It was meant to help small independent producers outside our winery forced to sell their grapes to “bottlers” for a very small fee just to earn some money. We offered to buy them ourselves. At a respectable price. The right price for high quality grapes. There was one condition: that these small producers, though not being part of our cooperative, would follow the same strict rules our members follow. Our goal was simple: offer these small independent producers a reason to work well, giving value to their work even in terms of money. Because work must be paid and by giving value to the people, you also give value to the territory of which they’re part.
Yet as a cooperative our work of course needs to focus on our members. This is why after years in which the number of members was set, we chose to open our cooperative to new members. As of this year, we have accepted new members who will now contribute with 100 extra hectares of vineyards, adding to the total extension of the Vignaioli del Morellino di Scansano vineyard (with a 20% expected increase of production). At the same time we chose to give the opportunity to smaller members who were already part of the cooperative to extend their vineyards as well: those who have less then 3 hectares are offered the chance to increase their vineyard, making their production more viable. This will allow us to keep under our 4 hectare per vineyard average – a small vineyard, a guarantee of a higher quality for the grapes. Most of all, this will allow us to continue our role of supporters of the local economy and the population of this area – a role we hold very dear. And in order to receive the extra grapes that will come from the new 100 hectares, we’re currently working to create a larger area for the collection of the grapes. So as to be ready for the 2016 harvest. 
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