HOW WE DO IT

ITRIA VALLEY
In an area of ​​central Puglia, also known as the Murgia dei Trulli, stretching between the provinces of Bari, Brindisi, and Taranto, we find the Itria Valley. This area is characterized by trulli, dry-stone walls, olive groves, and vineyards, and boasts an interesting biodiversity expressed through the presence of numerous varieties of fruit trees—almond, fig, cherry, stone fruit, and pome fruit—as well as groves and forests. WENO is located in the heart of the Itria Valley.

GRAPE VARIETIES
The philosophy behind the WENO project is to promote the native grape varieties of the Itria Valley: Verdeca, Maresco, Susumaniello, and Bianco d’Alessano. Native grape varieties are those grape varieties that originate, develop, and adapt to a specific area, acquiring unique organoleptic characteristics linked to the terroir based on climate, soil composition, and environment.

HARVEST
The raw materials are harvested earlier than the normal harvest to ensure a high level of acidity and minimal sugar concentration. The WENO harvest is an important event because it determines the quality of the finished product. It is done manually and strictly in crates to preserve the integrity of the grapes.

CLASSIC METHOD
WENO produces its wines using the Classic Method, which involves initiating the second fermentation in the bottle. This process produces bubbles without the use of added carbon dioxide, which is produced naturally through a process in which the yeasts consume sugars and produce carbon dioxide (CO2), which remains trapped in the bottle, creating the characteristic pressure.

TIRAGGIO
Tiraggio or “Tirage” involves bottling the base wine together with a mixture of sugar and yeast. Thick glass bottles are used to contain the pressure that builds up inside. The bottles are sealed with a crown cork. Under the cork is the bidule, a plastic cylinder that contains the residues generated at the end of fermentation. For WENO, tirage is a fundamental step in the production of Classic Method sparkling wines, achieving a unique final result.

PRESA DI SPUMA
This is the second fermentation that transforms still wine into sparkling wine, generating bubbles—perlage—through the action of sugars and yeasts. WENO arranges the bottles horizontally to ensure the yeasts are distributed along the bottle wall, maximizing surface area contact with the wine and thus enhancing the complexity of the final product.

AGING
The bottles are stacked on special horizontal racks and left to age in the cellar, where humidity and temperature are constant and there is no vibration, noise, odors, or light. WENO assigns each variety a variable, long, slow ageing period: patience is required to achieve a fine, persistent perlage with remarkable complexity and structure.

REMUAGE
Remuage is the production phase of classic method sparkling wines that involves placing the bottles on Pupitres, wooden racks shaped like an inverted “V” into which they are placed upside down. WENO performs the “riddling” manually and proceeds by shaking the bottle to dislodge any residual sediment from the second fermentation, gradually rotating it so that it is gradually tilted until it reaches a vertical position.

DISGORGEMENT
Also called “à la glace disgorgement,” it involves removing the spent yeasts accumulated in the neck of the bottle after riddling. WENO‘s technical staff places the bottles upside down in the neck freezer, a professional device that rapidly freezes the sediment accumulated in the bidule in the neck of the bottle at a temperature of -25°C. At this point, the removal of the crown cap and the high internal pressure expel the frozen sediment, ensuring a clear wine before bottling.

PAS DOSÉ
“Pas Dosé” or “Brut Nature” means Zero Dosage, or no dosage, and is a French term used to classify a sparkling wine, made exclusively according to the Classic Method, with a low residual sugar content of less than 3 g/l, indicating the presence of a minimal amount of natural, unfermented sugars. WENO does not add “Liqueur d’expedition” and instead tops up with the same wine to highlight the purity of the fruit and the authenticity of the wine and its terroir. The wine is then corked, wire-hooded, and packaged.

PERLAGE
Perlage refers to a string of pearls created by carbon dioxide bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass to the surface. WENO’s work concludes with the opening of the bottle: a fine, persistent, and continuous perlage is an important indicator of the quality of the sparkling wine, as it demonstrates a proper secondary fermentation process and adequate aging.

UNIQUE
WENO produces sparkling wine exclusively using the Classic Method and exclusively from native grape varieties from the Itria Valley.