06/02/2026
A few years ago, my husband and I were in Northern Italy and were able to tour an organic winery in a
unique area called the "Cartizze Hills". I was absolutely floored at what I learned there. This area is a
relatively small piece of land (about 260 acres) with a very unique geographical location and a very
specific type of soil. They way that the hills are positioned, how the winds come through, and the type of
soil in that area results in perfect conditions for growing a specific type of grape which is used to produce
their lovely Prosecco wines. They have been harvesting the grapes on this land for literally THOUSANDS
of years. Some sources date their practice back to 5000 BC! All Cartizze grapes are harvested BY HAND,
so NO MACHINE has ever graced those hillsides...only the feet of the landowners and caretakers. This is
partially because the hills are very steep, but also because they care about the land and have been very
intentional about preserving the longevity of it, being careful not to overwork it. The land is owned by a
conglomerate of families, not large corporations. Due to all of these factors, only a limited number of
bottles of Cartizze Prosecco are produced each year (about 1 million bottles, compared to about 500
million bottles of Prosecco from other vineyards in the region). Once again, I saw so clearly how the
time-honored traditions and practices of Italians have served them well. Their land is not maxed out and
depleted of nutrients because they take care of it, even if it means doing things the hard way and making
less profit. This experience really stuck with me and it's something I've thought a lot about. It's one of the
reasons I love being a small batch bakery. Yes, I use machines, but I also am very intentional about
traditional methods and high quality baked goods, even if that means it's going to take longer. This is one
of the reasons I am only at the market one day a week. My products take a considerable amount of time. I will always strive to give you quality over quantity and I think it would make my Italian ancestors proud🩷.
