“’Solo per Amore’—’for the love of it’—has many meanings.”—Carlo Mondavi, Sorì della Sorba

When we asked Carlo Mondavi what Solo per Amore meant (it’s the name of this week’s Wine to Know), here’s what he said:

“’Solo per Amore’—’for the love of it’—has many meanings. The first is that when Giovanna and I bought this estate vineyard, many people recommended we rip out some of the oldest blocks, saying production was too low. But Giovanna and I love older vines, and we wanted to protect them. So, the blocks from 1955 and from the 1960’s have become a part of the backbone of the wine. This was for the love of the story that old vines tell and the quality they yield when their grapes are made into wine. The second was our love of farming which, for us, is tied to permaculture, no-till, organics and biodynamics. Third is for our love of Nature. And the fourth reason is because we founded our estate together as a couple—in love.”

—Carlo Mondavi, Sorì della Sorba