80
years of experience
Family business handed down from the last century
14
HECTARES of vineyards
From the historical ones, planted decades ago, to recent newly planted vineyard
4
generations
Our family worked in this company since our great-grandfather’s time
Fralupaia
end of the 1800s
The forefather of the Gini family was Pietro, a farmer born in 1860 who owned some plots of land in Toiano. He had several children, one of which, his son Virgilio, also became a farmer.
Virgilio owned some plots of land on the summit of Castellonchio, the highest point of the hamlet of Toiano. He lived there with his father, mother and sisters. Part of this land was sold to provide a dowry for his sisters. Later, Virgilio left to fight in the war in Africa, where he contracted malaria. When he returned, he resumed his work in the fields and got married. He had a son, Rolando.
As Rolando grew up, he met and married Giuliana, the grandmother of the current owners. Giuliana was used to working in the fields and helped Virgilio and her husband, in particular with dairy cows and calves. Giuliana used to take any leftover milk to the dairyman in Cerreto, leaving very early in the morning by bike.
Fralupaia
early 1900s
As Rolando grew up, he met and married Giuliana, the grandmother of the current owners. Giuliana was used to working in the fields and helped Virgilio and her husband, in particular with dairy cows and calves. Giuliana used to take any leftover milk to the dairyman in Cerreto, leaving very early in the morning by bike.
When her grandfather Carlo passed away, she inherited a piece of land in Toiano. Carlo had lived in the heart of the village, close to the so-called “appalto”, a corner shop of sort that used to sell everything, from brooms to bread. His house stood beside the spot where the Fralupaia winery now rises. The neighbouring plot belonged to Giuliana’s sister, and Rolando took out a mortgage and purchased it.
This land was the initial core of the Fralupaia farm.
Rolando was a broker of large real estates and land properties and run the family wine business at the same time. He led a busy life, travelling all over Italy to conduct his business, but he still had time to manage the farm.
At the time it was not unusual that a neighbour would move to Sovigliana, which at the time was considered a modern, desirable neighborhood with many appealing amenities. When this happened, our family, who had remained in Toiano, would buy their plots of land and expand the farm. Over the years, we managed to own a homogeneous and contiguous piece of land, going from grandfather Carlo’s old house and extending two hills further on.
Fralupaia
Between 1900 and 2000
After completing his studies in economics and commerce, Rolando’s son, Piero, began working as a farm manager for some large estates, first in Calappiano, then in Montecchio. In the mid-1990s, he left those jobs to take over the family farm, not only as farm manager but also as a labourer and tractor driver.
Piero further expanded the farm’s land, purchasing the estates in San Pantaleo. At the time these plots were planted with wheat, but Piero began laying out new vineyards that very spring. It was a windy spring, and both him and Emanuela, who helped him, stretching the guide wire to mark the vineyard rows was no easy task. The wire kept moving in the wind, but, eventually, they completed the work and the San Pantaleo vineyards were finally planted.
The current layout of Fralupaia’s estate is the one Piero left behind: a wine cellar located just behind the centre of Toiano, overseeing a long, steep road that descends through the vineyards, reaches the plain past fields of arable crops, climbs a hillside of vines, then drops steeply again to a stream. From there, it rises once more to another Tuscan hill, entirely covered in vineyards, until it reaches the summit. From that vantage point, the highest in the area, there is a sweeping view of all the surrounding fields and vineyards.
Fralupaia
from 2010 onward
The company’s vineyards are mainly Sangiovese vines, but also include Cabernet and Merlot
When Pietro passed away, Manuela. who had learned many techniques from her husband, took over as farm manager and continued running the farm with the support of technicians and family members.
Luca, who has been handling the the company’s accounting for years, now is in charge of marketing as well. His sister Chiara helps manage visual communications and is something of a jack-of-all-trades, lending a hand wherever needed, including back-office matters.
Our family has been working in this company for four generations.