Wine from the Heart of the Berici Hills
Davide Xodo is a natural winemaker based in Nanto, in the Colli Berici hills of Veneto, Italy. After more than 15 years of experience and collaboration in the world of wine, he realised his dream of opening his own small farm to produce wine in the hills near his home. [^131^] He farms 3.5 organic hectares himself, divided into five small plots, alongside 1 hectare of woods, olive trees, and fruit trees. [^133^] The cultivated vines include Tai Rosso, Garganega, Pinot Bianco, Malvasia Istriana, Cabernet Franc, and Carmenère. [^117^] Davide works without the use of chemicals in the vineyard and without forcing and manipulation in the cellar, with natural fermentations and the use of small concrete and fibreglass containers. [^120^] He is a true vignaiolo — a winegrower who tends his vines with his own hands and makes wine with patience, respect, and an unwavering belief in nature.
A Dream Realised — From Collaborator to Vignaiolo
Davide Xodo's journey to becoming a vignaiolo was not a sudden leap but a long, deliberate path. For more than 15 years, he worked in the world of wine — collaborating, learning, absorbing the rhythms of the vineyard and the cellar from those who came before him. [^131^] He worked alongside established producers, gaining hands-on experience in every aspect of viticulture and winemaking, from pruning to bottling, from fermentation to sales. This apprenticeship was not merely technical; it was philosophical. Davide learned not just how to make wine, but why — and, crucially, why not to interfere.
The dream, when it finally crystallised, was simple: to own his own winery and make wines in the hills near his home. [^125^] The Colli Berici, a range of hills south of Vicenza in the Veneto region, is a place of extraordinary winegrowing potential — a landscape of limestone outcrops, rolling vineyards, and ancient forests that has been cultivated since Roman times. Davide chose Nanto, a village nestled in these hills, as the place where he would put down his own roots. The vineyard is the heart of his project, and with passion he respects nature, believing in his work and in the land that sustains it. [^129^]
The estate consists of just over 2 hectares of vineyards, divided into five small plots, plus 1 hectare of woods, olive trees, and fruit trees. [^133^] This is not a monoculture; it is a farm. The woods provide biodiversity and protection, the olive trees produce oil, and the fruit trees mark the seasons. The vineyards themselves are planted to a diverse palette of varieties — Tai Rosso, Garganega, Pinot Bianco, Malvasia Istriana, Cabernet Franc, and Carmenère — each chosen for its suitability to the local terroir and its ability to express the character of the Colli Berici. [^117^]
"I am Davide Xodo, a winemaker who has realized my dream of owning my own winery and making wines in the hills near my home."
— Davide Xodo
Organic Farming, No Chemicals & Five Small Plots
Davide Xodo farms his 3.5 hectares organically, without the use of chemicals in the vineyard. [^120^] [^132^] He tends the vines himself, walking the five small plots throughout the season, observing, pruning, and harvesting by hand. The farming is not certified organic — it is beyond certification, a matter of principle rather than paperwork. Davide believes that the health of the soil, the vines, and the surrounding ecosystem is the foundation of everything that follows in the cellar. Without healthy grapes, there can be no authentic wine.
The Colli Berici hills provide a distinctive terroir for Davide's vines. The soils are predominantly limestone, with layers of clay and marl that provide both drainage and mineral richness. [^118^] The elevation varies across the five small plots, creating microclimates that allow Davide to match each variety to its ideal site. The Tai Rosso, the signature red of the Colli Berici, thrives on the warmer, south-facing slopes, while the white varieties — Garganega, Pinot Bianco, and Malvasia Istriana — find their home on the cooler, higher plots. The Cabernet Franc and Carmenère, Bordeaux varieties that have adapted surprisingly well to this corner of Veneto, are planted on the stoniest soils, where the limestone stress produces fruit of remarkable concentration.
The estate is not merely a vineyard; it is a farm in the traditional sense. The 1 hectare of woods, olive trees, and fruit trees that surround the vines is not decorative — it is functional. [^133^] The woods harbour beneficial insects and birds that control pests naturally. The olive trees produce oil that Davide sells alongside his wines. The fruit trees — cherries, apples, pears — mark the passing of the seasons and provide food for the family and the local wildlife. This is agriculture as it was practiced for centuries, before the advent of industrial monoculture. Davide is not trying to recreate the past; he is simply refusing to abandon it.
No synthetic chemicals in the vineyard. All operations by hand. Beyond certification — a matter of principle. Healthy soil, healthy vines, healthy wine. [^120^] [^132^]
Predominantly limestone with clay and marl layers. Excellent drainage, mineral richness, and a distinctive backbone that defines the wines. [^118^]
~2 hectares divided into five small plots across the Colli Berici. Each plot matched to its ideal variety, creating a mosaic of terroirs within a single estate. [^133^]
Tai Rosso, Garganega, Pinot Bianco, Malvasia Istriana, Cabernet Franc, and Carmenère. Indigenous and adapted varieties that belong to this place. [^117^]
Natural Fermentation, No Forcing & Concrete Vessels
In the cellar, Davide Xodo works without forcing and manipulation. [^120^] Fermentations occur naturally, with indigenous yeasts present on the grape skins. There are no selected yeasts, no enzymes, no artificial aids. The wines are aged in small concrete and fibreglass containers — vessels chosen for their neutrality, their stability, and their ability to let the wine evolve without imparting external flavours. [^120^] Concrete provides thermal mass and a gentle, slow ageing environment. Fibreglass is inert, preserving the pure fruit character of the wine. Together, they allow Davide to craft wines that speak of the vineyard, not of the vessel.
The Sessantaquattro is Davide's benchmark Tai Rosso — aged in fibreglass for just six months, it is Tai Rosso at its crunchiest. [^122^] [^126^] Bright red fruits, menthol, and a tease of crushed stone complete the palate. It is a wine of immediate pleasure and surprising depth — light in body but intense in flavour, with a mineral finish that lingers. The name Sessantaquattro ("Sixty-four") is a reference to the year 1964, a legendary vintage in the Colli Berici, and an homage to the tradition that Davide carries forward.
The Campetti is a red blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot (or, in some vintages, 60% Cabernet, 30% Merlot, 10% Grenache), with grapes hand-harvested and fermented using wild yeasts on the skins for 20 days before ageing in concrete. [^115^] [^128^] The result is a wine of ultra-pure feel and bright intensity — a wine that proves Bordeaux varieties can find a second home in the limestone hills of Veneto when handled with patience and respect. The concrete ageing preserves the wine's freshness and minerality, preventing the oak-driven heaviness that can overwhelm these varieties.
The Scafo is perhaps Davide's most inventive wine — Tai Rosso, Syrah, and Merlot, carbonically co-macerated for 4 days prior to pressing, then spontaneously co-fermented in concrete tank. [^119^] The carbonic maceration gives the wine a lifted, floral aromatic profile and a gentle, juicy palate, while the brief skin contact ensures structure without harshness. It is a wine that defies easy categorisation — not quite a red, not quite a rosé, but something uniquely its own. Fresh, vibrant, and utterly drinkable.
The whites are handled with equal care. The Nina Bianco is a musky natural wine with a nice cedar-red tint — not so bold that it doesn't pair with food, but certainly has character. [^123^] The Garganegade is a Garganega that captures the sunny, pleasant nature of the variety while adding a mineral, saline dimension from the limestone soils. [^130^] All the whites are fermented spontaneously and aged in concrete or steel, preserving their freshness and aromatic complexity. There is no filtration, no clarification, no manipulation — just the grape, the yeast, and the patience to let them do their work.
Sessantaquattro — "Tai Rosso at Its Crunchiest"
The Sessantaquattro is Davide Xodo's signature wine — a Tai Rosso that has become a benchmark for the variety in the natural wine world. [^122^] [^126^]
Made from 100% Tai Rosso grown on the limestone hills of Nanto, the grapes are hand-harvested from Davide's five small plots and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. The wine is then aged in fibreglass for just six months — a short ageing that preserves the wine's crunchiness and immediacy. [^122^]
In the glass, it is a revelation of bright red fruits, menthol, and a tease of crushed stone. The palate is light and fresh, with a mineral backbone that speaks directly to the limestone soils of the Colli Berici. It is Tai Rosso at its most expressive — not heavy, not extracted, but rather a wine of purity, energy, and place. The name Sessantaquattro pays homage to 1964, a legendary vintage in the region, and reflects Davide's deep respect for the history he carries forward. A wine for everyday drinking, for simple food, and for remembering that the best wines are often the most honest. ~€24–€32 / ~$26–$35.
The Davide Xodo Range
Davide Xodo produces a focused range of natural wines from 3.5 organically farmed hectares in Nanto, Colli Berici. All wines are spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, made without chemicals or manipulation, and aged in small concrete and fibreglass containers. The portfolio is built around indigenous Veneto varieties and adapted grapes that have found a home in the limestone hills. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.