It involves planning, planting, care and maintenance and, the vital end result, harvesting of the vineyard.

A well-cared for vineyard can thrive for 50 years.

Grapevines are highly adaptable plants, but quality grape production requires hot, dry summers and a short, sharp winter chill, because high humidity and mild winters promote vine diseases. This is why the climate in Southern Piedmont is ideal for viniculture.

Exposure to the sun is vital for ripening the grapes. Hilly country casts early shadows, so later-ripening grapes (black varieties) are planted on and around the hilltops, and the angle of the slopes is exploited to enable sunlight to penetrate the rows of leafy vines.