Fabio ''Spok'' Elleri
(Winery in Romagna)
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About Winery and Wines
Fabio 'Spok' Elleri, once a computer scientist, had a life-altering experience following a serious motorbike accident in 2011, which led him to reassess his career and lifestyle. After years spent in the Canary Islands, he returned to Italy in 2016, where he gained experience working at a friend’s vineyard. A year later, he purchased his own estate in Castrocaro Terme and Terra del Sole, located in the Rio Cozzi area. The farm, affectionately known as 'Uncle Spok's farm,' spans 12 hectares—four dedicated to vineyards and eight to woodlands. It sits near the impressive Sasso Spungone cliff, a stunning sedimentary rock formation dating back three million years, and is part of a territory of community importance.
At the farm, Elleri has embraced organic farming, fostering sustainable agricultural practices. His dedication to the land reflects his personal journey toward a more meaningful and balanced life, focusing on the cultivation of grapes and maintaining the natural beauty of the surrounding woodlands.
Territory:
The two parcels have a multifaceted terrain, with significant variations just a few meters apart. The north-facing plot, named 'Mar,' overlooks the Adriatic Sea and has blue clays and Spungone stone, the karstic rock formed by limestone and rich in marine fossils.
To the south, we find the 'Cozzi' parcel, characterized by a ferrallitic soil of red clays, Spungone, and limestone alternating with sandstone, all overlooking the valley of the Montone River.
A marine and saline imprint characterizes both parcels because of the salty-bromine-iodine thermal waters that rise to the surface and form a small lake.
The farm:
The farm, located in the very first hills of the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines, is at an altitude ranging from 100 to 200 meters above sea level and comprises 12 hectares, of which about 4 are vineyards and 8 are woodland.
In recent years, Fabio has tried to favor biodiversity as much as possible, planting trees from ancient and autochthonous seeds, hemp, aromatic herbs, and other melliferous plants. The result is palpable through many varieties of flowers, butterflies, beetles, wild bees, and insectivorous birds.
Vineyards:
The estate has 25 to 30-year-old plants pruned using the Simonit and Sirch method. It incorporates green manuring with field beans, barley, horseradish, phacelia, sainfoin, sulla, clover, field peas, and alfalfa.
Along with the estate, Fabio is taking care of old Romagna vineyards divided into small plots, renting them out, and making wine with the help of other friends and winemakers - this allows him to experiment with indigenous and forgotten grape varieties.
Fabio 'Spok' Elleri's winery, located in Castrocaro Terme and Terra del Sole, spans four hectares of vineyard and eight hectares of woodland, producing wines from both native and experimental grape varieties like Sangiovese, Albana, and Trebbiano. By 2024, four new varieties, including Albanella and Vernaccia del Viandante, will expand production. Current output stands at 15,000 bottles, with future increases planned. Elleri's dedication to sustainability and organic methods ensures minimal intervention, using hand-harvesting, spontaneous fermentation, and ageing in steel, cement tanks, and oak vats. Each wine, such as Calanco, Montone, Spok, and Spungò, reflects the unique terroir of this historic region. The farm also cultivates the land near the Sasso Spungone cliff, a geological wonder, adding to the winery's distinctive character.
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