“Silvano? Do you want to know where Silvano works? Take the road from Greve and follow the sign to Lamole. There, you will see a shed with a large number of barrels. That’s where his hiding place is”. It’s a large shed full of wood, at the end of which you will find Silvano Batisti, the last barrel maker of the Chianti. A survivor or rather the heir of a simple but precious craft, simple but difficult. He makes barrels and restores them but now, they say, he only restores them. He is a craftsman who has been learning the trade since childhood and has practiced and improved it all his life. He may not have the sophistication of a more noble master who restores a painting on wood by a primitive artist but, seeing him work with such tireless zest, even now that he is threatening to withdraw from the limelight, arouses all our admiration. His grandfather, father, he himself and then, nothing. “In a few years I shall retire. This job ends with me. My children have no intention of continuing”. Batisti has large, knotty arms and swings the two long hammers like an old gladiator whilst he replaces a short strip of wood from the barrel. Batisti who has a nose and taste for wine and all his senses tuned in with the noble nectar of the vines, defends the tradition of his ancient activity, expressing disapproval of barrels in other materials. As a wine lover (”but please don’t say I’m an expert”), he admits he is not in tune with those in glass fiber which many firms have now adopted. “Wood, any kind, imparts its life to wine, synthetic barrels do not impart anything. Wine is a live product”. Batisti is a simple man but this seems pure and moving poetry to us. Then he goes on to talk about the Chianti Classico wine. He says he does not want to talk about the choices that some producers make, “even if instinctively I can say it would be better to give the highest value to our products rather than cross them with foreign grapes. Chianti is made with a lot of Sangiovese and a little Canaiolo”. Those who want to understand…
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See also:

Baking Earth is An Art, Craftsmanship in The Chianti, Maniera, a Craftsman Shop in Chianti, The Search for The Beautiful in Chianti: Julia

Or go back to Trades and Crafts of Chianti