Vineyards at Pomaio Winery

Just a 20 minute drive from Arezzo, Pomaio Winery strives to combine innovation with traditional Tuscan wine making practices. In the hills of Tuscany, the winery sits on top of a mountain that overlooks the city, and in an area where vineyards have been around for centuries. From the beginning, Pomaio Winery wanted to focus on sustainable practices while also producing quality wine. This is something that Leonardo Bihal wanted to continue when he bought the winery a little over two years ago: Creating quality wine in line with Tuscan traditions, will also come up with new ways to innovate.

Italy regional wine map

“We have to be very, very careful to not compromise the production and the quality of the production.  We try to compromise tradition with new techniques, but we strive for both to have a better product,” Bihal said.

Wine culture in Tuscany is a big deal. Wine making in Tuscany is deeply rooted in its culture-from creating traditions passed from family to family to cultivating vineyards that have thrived for literal centuries. Tuscany is known for its Chianti, Merlot, and Cortona wine. While competitors, wineries in Tuscany are a tight community that use similar methods to ferment and bring their wine to life. These methods are rooted in tradition and have been around for centuries.

“Tuscany is one of the most traditional regions in Italy. So the wine tradition here is really strong. We are trying to keep the tradition, but also we are trying to bring new things,” Bihal emphasized. 

Tuscan regional wine map

Pomaio winery specifically produces two different types of grapes: Sangiovese and Merlot. These grapes thrive in the region, and are some of the traditional grapes that winemakers use in Tuscany. To produce the wine from the grapes, the Tuscan wine community has long standing traditions: such as the way they ferment the wine through big barrels, a practice Bihal doesn’t follow. He uses oak barrels to ferment his wine. Bihal wants to honor the traditions of the community, but he also wants to create his own way of doing things. 

“A lot of winemakers are very traditional, they don’t change at all. The use of the oak is one of the examples. They don’t like to use the traditional oak. They usually use big barrels.” 

Oak barels at Pomaio Winery

This reflects a widely accepted concept in the Tuscan winemaking community where tradition overtakes innovation, such as normal barrels that don’t have oak. By using oak to ferment his wine, Bihal thinks that the flavors will be enhanced.This break from the Tuscan traditions and communities helps set his wine and practices apart in the region.

“Even if Tuscany is a very traditional place when we talk about wine, food, and everything, I guess we are aware that things are changing. We are trying to keep the tradition, but also we are trying to bring new things”

While the Tuscan community is important in influencing his practices, he also focuses on building his own community on his property. Pomaio Winery allows people to come and stay in one of their villas on their property year round, offering an immersive experience into the Tuscan countryside. By offering these experiences, Pomaio Winery allows visitors to have more than just a glimpse into how wine is produced in Tuscany, but also be a part of that practice. 

“We always try to make our guests feel at home. And we always try to make them feel part of our small world here.”

Through wine tastings, cooking classes, and tours, guests get to actually be a part of the rich traditions, and new practices, that Pomaio follows. Bihal wants these guests to feel at home, creating a sense of community throughout the entire Vineyard.

“We always try to make our guests feel at home, and we always try to make them feel part of our small world here. I really try to share my experience in this place with them, make them feel part of [our community],” Bihal said.

This sense of community is part of what builds Pomaio Winery–it becomes a place where tradition and innovation combine. By blending old Tuscan practices with new ones, Bihal works to preserve tradition while also creating new, flavorful, wine. His approach to sustainability and balance of modern and old techniques help make Pomaio Winery unique.

Bihal demonstrates that innovation and tradition can coexist: They can build off each other to make a lasting impact on a community. His use of fermentation through oak barrels, a practice not seen in Tuscany, and the way he uses Tuscan tradition as his foundation for his practices, honors the community and accelerates it into the future. 

By combining his practices with hospitality, Bihal has created an environment that showcases the Tuscan community and invites guests to become a part of it, fostering a shared appreciation for tradition, innovation, and the art of winemaking.

“I really think that the experience, like the good experience, makes people feel at home. And this is something that I don’t want to give up.”