Storia
The convent and the Passoni project
Mormoraia originated as a convent surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Its modern history began in 1980, when entrepreneur Pino Passoni and his wife Franca acquired the property. They intended to restore the complex and transform it into an agricultural estate capable of producing wine for international markets, while establishing a family project that could pass from parents to children.
Their son Alessandro Passoni was born in 1989. In 1990, one year after his birth, Pino and Franca began renovating both the estate buildings and the vineyards. The winery was constructed during the early 1990s.
1995: winery, hospitality and international markets
In 1995, the first winery and the agriturismo were completed. The restored buildings retained characteristic elements of the former convent and traditional Tuscan architecture: arches and loggias, exposed stone walls, timber ceiling beams and terracotta floors. Mormoraia wines also entered international markets during this period, eventually reaching all five continents.
Expansion and technical renewal
Following the development of the Mormoraia brand, the estate enlarged its vineyards and olive groves. Production was modernized through new winemaking equipment and practices, including computerized temperature control and maturation in French oak barrels and barriques.
The second generation
In 2012, at the age of 23, Alessandro Passoni assumed responsibility for Mormoraia. Supported by Pino and Franca, he expanded and improved both the agricultural production and hospitality sides of the estate. He converted the existing apartments into rooms of several categories, added a sauna and Turkish bath, and moved agricultural production to organic farming.
In 2014, the estate opened Il Fienile, a restaurant created to introduce guests to Tuscan cooking and to pair the estate’s wines with locally rooted cuisine.
Mormoraia today
Mormoraia now combines a 30-hectare vineyard operation with organic olive growing, winemaking and hospitality. Management remains with the Passoni family, with Alessandro representing the second generation and working alongside his parents and the wider Mormoraia team.
Terroir
Mormoraia lies at Loc. Sant’Andrea in San Gimignano, amid hills planted with vineyards and olive groves. The property overlooks the towers of San Gimignano and the historic settlements of Val d’Elsa.
The wine-producing vineyards are situated in the hills of San Gimignano at approximately 300 metres above sea level. Their soils impart a pronounced saline character to the estate’s fruit. Conditions vary within the property: the approximately 25-year-old Syrah vineyards used for Agrios occupy the estate’s sandier slopes, while fruit for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend is selected from the plots considered most suitable for those varieties.
The oldest Vernaccia vineyard is an approximately 40-year-old single vineyard. Other age groups include Sangiovese vineyards of about 35 years, mixed vineyards of roughly 25–30 years, and Syrah vineyards of about 25 years.
Vinificazione
The vineyards and olive groves are farmed organically as part of an estate-wide commitment to respecting the surrounding ecosystem. Environmentally sustainable care of the vineyards and olive groves is also integrated into Mormoraia’s hospitality and agricultural identity.
Vineyard management varies by block and variety. The principal systems are spur-pruned cordon, low cordon and Guyot, normally carrying 6–8 buds per vine; some Vernaccia vines retain 8–10 buds, while one Syrah selection is restricted to six. Planting density is generally 5,000 vines/ha, with a lower-density Vernaccia block at 3,000 vines/ha.
Canopy management, green pruning, green harvesting and grape selection are used to regulate production. Some plots receive several passes of green pruning followed by bunch thinning. Maximum yields range from 50 quintals/ha for the most concentrated Vernaccia and Syrah selections to 80 quintals/ha for other vineyards; intermediate limits of 60 and 70 quintals/ha are also applied.
Harvesting and selection are performed manually. Grapes are collected in small 15–20 kg crates to maintain bunch integrity during transport to the winery. Vernaccia destined for white-wine production may be placed in two layers in the crates and cooled in refrigerated cells before pressing; one selection is cooled to 4°C. Harvest timing ranges from early picking for fresher expressions to full ripeness or slight overripeness for more concentrated selections.
The winery was constructed in the early 1990s and completed as part of the restored estate in 1995. Its architecture retains the identity of the historic complex through arches and loggias, exposed stone walls, timber ceiling beams and terracotta floors.
The production building is organized into three large operational areas: one for vinification, one for maturation, and one for bottling and shipping. Modern winemaking equipment is combined with computerized temperature control. The estate subsequently expanded its maturation resources to include French oak barrels and barriques alongside its temperature-controlled production facilities.
Filosofia
Mormoraia’s philosophy centers on respect and affection for its territory, care for the surrounding ecosystem and the transmission of a family project from parents to son. Organic farming expresses this environmental commitment in both the vineyards and olive groves.
The production approach combines technical renewal with continuity. Computerized temperature control and modern winery practices support precision, while the restored cellar preserves the arches, stone, timber and terracotta of the former convent. In the vineyard, differentiated training systems, yield limits, manual selection and harvest timing allow individual varieties and vineyard age groups to be handled according to their particular requirements.
Mormoraia treats wine, olive oil, food and hospitality as connected expressions of the same estate. Tastings, Tuscan cuisine, vineyard and olive-grove visits, and the preservation of the historic property form part of a single family-led agricultural identity.