Still Working The Vineyards At 88 And 91 Years Old

In southern Italy the sun shines down on an elderly married couple, Grandma Tonetta and Grandpa Toniuccio, while they work in their tiny plot that is planted with vines over a century old - the indigenous white grape Verdeca. Their vineyard is located between Canale di Pirro and the Valle d'Itria within the region of Puglia, the heel of Italy. Their vineyard technically lies in the Valle d’Itria IGT wine designated area; summers may be pleasantly warm there but the winters are severe as the plots lie between 1000 to 1400 feet in altitude, only one of the reasons why white grapes dominate in the area. It is backbreaking work tending to such old vines using only manual labor that many would think unimaginable at any age let alone at the impressive milestones of 88 and 91 years old.

Along Comes A Young Man

Tonetta and Toniuccio have been caretakers of their own vines and making wine for local consumption for decades and it seems that it would always be that way as they had no desire to sell it to anyone else. But one day a winemaker, who had worked for bigger wineries yet wanted to set out on his own, stopped by their vineyard to discuss buying their grapes. Their Verdeca vineyard would bear the the title of prized wine of that winemaker’s portfolio and it would represent the ultimate level of enlightenment that is achieved by ascending all of the lower levels of oneself; hence why the wines were eventually named “Chakra”.   

That winemaker is Giovanni Aiello, a man who was born in a neighboring town not far from Tonetta and Toniuccio, a man who was an enologist previously at large wineries but desired to make handcrafted, small production wines from his birthplace, a man who was willing to put every ounce of energy into making sure the winemaking and packaging was just as personal as the grapes that were picked by Tonetta’s and Toniuccio’s weathered hands. The elderly couple formed a close bond with Giovanni and they knew that he could be trusted with their cherished grapes, so they would continue to manage and harvest the grapes and Giovanni would make the wine as well as package it, getting their feedback. Here and there Giovanni would get pearls of wisdom from his time spent with this amazing couple.   

Giovanni Aiello Chakra Wines

Giovanni was raised in the countryside near Valle d’Itria and was taught by his father that if he wanted to make a person happy there was no better way than to offer them a glass of wine. And so, for Giovanni, there was no other trade in his mind except the wine business and he traveled and lived around the world gaining valuable experience while working at wineries in California, Australia and a few in Italy, and all the while, that idea of making a wine so special that it brought joy to any man or woman to whom it was offered still ached away at his heart. But he knew that dream was only possible if he could find the right vineyards as well as honor those extraordinary terroirs with hand-painted labels that represented different chakras with varying color patterns - symbolic of a person’s journey to happiness.

Giovanni hand paints each label by using self-designed special tools to create a unique design for each bottle, with each line of wine getting its own color. His Primitivo "Chakra Rosso" from the Gioia del Colle DOC (a higher elevation area in Puglia for Primitivo that makes elegant reds) gets the red color, his rosato a.k.a. rosé "Chakra Rosato," also made from Primitivo, gets pink and the Valle d'Itria native whites are represented by “Chakra Blu” (sparkling wine made from local varieties Verdeca, Maruggio and Marchione) with a blue label, the still Verdeca “Chakra Verde” in the green label and finally the wine that represents everything that Giovanni stands for with the “Chakra Essenza” under the yellow hand-painted design.  

“The Young Man Walks Faster, But the Old Man Knows the Way”

The daily stress to survive with the throngs of various responsibilities piling on as the years go by makes one desperately dream of a time when things are simpler with less demands. But then, when that time comes, it seems like there is too much time without any responsibilities, too much time where one is not needed. The toll on the bodies of Tonetta and Toniuccio are certainly intense but it is just a reminder that they are not only still alive but they are greatly needed. Giovanni likes to use the old saying, “The young man walks faster, but the old man knows the way” in regards to his relationship with Tonetta and Toniuccio and in a world where many are seeking a peaceful life where they are still valued, they get both in their collaboration with Giovanni; it is the kind of balance that most would not only like to be gifted with in their twilight years but many would be grateful to experience that harmony at any point in their life.

2017 Giovanni Aiello, Chakra Blu, Valle d’Itria IGT, Puglia, Italy: Field blend of Verdeca, Maruggio and Marchione sparkling wine. Citrus peel with chalky minerality and blanched almonds with a hint of anise seed on the creamy finish. Don’t know the exact production size but it is small.

2018 Giovanni Aiello, Chakra Verde, Valle d’Itria IGT, Puglia, Italy: 100% Verdeca. A white wine with dried thyme and bay leaves that had juicy peach flavors and wet stones along the linear body. Only 5700 bottles made.

2018 Giovanni Aiello, Primitivo Rosato IGT, Puglia, Italy: 100% Primitivo. Baking spices with white strawberries and cranberries that had a good amount of weight with crisp acidity. Only 5500 bottles made.

2017 Giovanni Aiello, Rosso Gioia del Colle DOC, Valle d’Itria IGT, Puglia, Italy: 100% Primitivo coming from the high altitude, cooler Primitivo vineyard area of Gioia del Colle. Pretty lilac and cherry blossom nose with a multifaceted fruit profile of black, red and blue berries that had fine tannins and a backbone of uplifting acidity. Only 7266 bottles made.

2017 Giovanni Aiello, Chakra Essenza, Valle d’Itria IGT, Puglia, Italy: 100% Verdeca made from a vineyard over a century old cultivated by 88 year old Tonetta and 91 year old Toniuccio. Complex nose of white pepper, wild flowers and rich apricots that was striking in its beauty and the richly textured body made this a very serious white that had an astonishingly long finish. Impressive! Only 2266 bottles made and the one tasted was number 1608.

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