When I was around twelve years old, my father, being a fantastic hobby gourmet, and I were always joking about him opening a restaurant when he would retire. Of course, I also wanted to have something special to do too, so I would respond to open a winery to serve his restaurant with good wines. This was in 1983…While joking at that time, this idea stayed always in my head, and step by step involved into a dream: Opening a winery in Tuscany, Italy. Not having the background, not having money, of course this dream was unrealistic to become true, it was even naive.
When my father had died shortly after retirement, of course without opening his restaurant (he was a scientist by heart), our dream from 1983 and the years after, came back to my mind and never left me since then. I decided two things: First, live my life in a way, that I would not die shortly after retirement, and second, follow MY dream and make it happen. In the meantime, I had become a scientist as well with a doctorate degree in quantum theory (far away from wine making :-), and worked in the industry for more than twenty years in top management positions. And let’s face it, like my father I was on a good track to die even BEFORE retirement.
So, in late 2009, I decided to initiate working on creating a winery in Tuscany. It took me four years to find the right piece of land, that offered all I ever had wanted for this dream: A rich and beautiful terroir close to the sea, that needs to be wakened up to become a place of beauty and energy, not just for my family, but also for friends and all people, who would enjoy nature and good wines.
The „La Cava Project” has been started in 2014. After years of planning, fighting with Italian bureaucracy (more stories to come) and a lot of other unforeseen hurdles, a new winery is standing since 2023 in the heart of Tuscany producing its first great wines.
From the beginning, another thought would be of high importance: Creating a sustainable place: Applying biodynamic methods to grow the wine, operating carbon neutral, and being as much independent as possible – using photovoltaics, solar thermic power, collecting water, and growing as much as possible for our day to day living by our own. Although we are not yet fully were we want to be, for sure we have gone far.
My family and I live on the property since beginning of 2023 and enjoy everything Italy has to offer: Fantastic, friendly people, amazing creative, and healthy food, and of course: fantastic wines! And even more important: To live our dream and continue to develop our project…
Come and visit us!
Tosja, Jasmin and family
The building project
After two years of planning and another two years to receive the building permit, we started the project in the middle of the Corona pandamic in May 2020. Working with a great company, we were despite the pandamic able to finish this complex project almost in time…
It started with digging into the mountain and securing the new cantina with 64, nine meter deep concrete columns – a requirement to secure the building from earth quakes or movements of the mountain. Follow the slider to see the Cantina grow over time!
