April 10, 2023
Roberto di Filippo of Plani Arche and La Sapata Podcast Interview
Owner
Elena & Roberto DiFilippo
Winemaker
Roberto DiFilippo
Appellation
Montefalco Sagrantino
Distribution Area
Delaware, National, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
Varieties
Grechetto, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Trebbiano Spoletino
Vineyard
Cantina Plani Arche is located across the valley from the ancient city of Assisi. It is comprised of 6 hectares of vineyards across 6 parcels, at average elevations of 250 meters, oriented towards the southeast. The predominant soil is calcareous clay.
Farming
Organic
About Plani Arche
Plani Arche are certified organic wines from a small artisan winery in Umbria by Roberto Di Filippo and his wife Elena Pompeii. Roberto and Elena run their winery business in Colli Martani and grow grapes there and in Montefalco, two of the central DOCs of Umbria, the “green heart of Italy.”
Their wines are of a strong and sometimes difficult nature, such as Sagrantino, or complex and earthy like Grechetto. From the very beginning, the vines have been cultivated organically. “…we have been cultivating the vines for two generations. We sell the wines we produce and live from those alone, devoting ourselves to this and no other work. We are true vintners.”
Roberto use workhorses to plough the fields and avoid the soil compression that results from 2+ ton tractors, but the sacrifice, for Roberto, has been more than in speed of farming…his leg has been broken not once but TWICE by a horse kick. It tells you how devoted he is to his horses and how close to the action he is.
To understand the wines, imagine attending one of Roberto’s famous pig roasts and washing down some pulled pork with the full- bodied, slightly nutty and tannic Grechetto or the supple and spicy Montefalco Rosso. To understand Roberto, you must simply see the love, affection, and pride he and his family share. His father Italo purchased the land for their vineyards in 1970, planted vines in 1971 and his first vintage was in 1974.
The name of the winery, “Plani Arche,” is the Latin name of a local shrine (“Pian d’Arca”) which is considered the spot where St Francis of Assisi gave his famous “Sermon to the Birds.” That outreach beyond humans aligns perfectly with Roberto’s holistic approach to farming and to life.
These are wines of the Umbrian land and Elena and Roberto’s souls. Their purity, complexity and unique character are an inspiration.
Additional Resources
Related News
& Press
January 22, 2021
Roberto Di Filippo: Ethical Farming from Umbria to Romania
April 08, 2019
A Biodynamic Expression of Sagrantino in Umbria
April 08, 2019
Wine Wednesday – Plani Arche
April 08, 2019
Roberto Di Filippo: Horses, Geese and Organic Wine
2 Commerce Dr. Suite 3 Moorestown, NJ 08057
Office 800.245.0184
Fax 856.985.5848
