Storia
The estate before the Failli family
The agricultural history of Sovestro predates the present family enterprise. The property once belonged to the Convento dei Frati Olivetani and passed into the patrimony of the Comune di Colle Val d’Elsa in 1776. Documents from that period already described vineyards and olive groves distributed between south-facing and north-facing areas, showing that viticulture and olive growing were established features of the land.
1962: the family’s arrival
The family story began in 1962, when the great-grandfather Gianni Testi, known as Brinchio, bought the property then called “il podere della curva dell’Esse”—the farm at the S-bend. A livestock merchant and a familiar figure in San Gimignano, Gianni believed that the hills could provide a future for the family.
At the time, his nephew Sergio was attending hotel school and spending his summers working as a seasonal waiter in Italy and abroad. Gianni regarded Sergio as the future of the farm and declined advantageous offers for the property because he expected Sergio eventually to establish a business there.
Sharecropping and restoration
The Fantaccini family managed the farm under a sharecropping arrangement until the early 1980s. After that arrangement ended, Sergio, his father Alfredo—known as Pode—and Lucia began the demanding restoration of the farmhouse.
1985–1994: hospitality takes shape
Ristorante Da Pode opened in July 1985 beneath the family home. It was the first of the family’s three hospitality businesses and remains in operation approximately 70 metres from Tenuta Sovestro. Its exterior retains the appearance of a traditional Tuscan country house, while its dining rooms display objects and agricultural tools associated with the area’s farming culture.
Hotel Sovestro followed in 1994, extending the family’s activity in hospitality while the surrounding vineyards, olive groves and fields remained integral to the property.
2017: creation of Tenuta Sovestro
In 2017 the family acquired the old Fattoria Sovestro, directly opposite its historic property, and restored it completely. This purchase and renovation created Tenuta Sovestro in its present form: a working agricultural estate, winery and agriturismo housed in a traditional Tuscan farmhouse once occupied by farming families.
The restored accommodation retained the estate’s agricultural identity. Sixteen individually designed rooms with private bathrooms were created within the historic buildings, while wine and olive-oil production continued from the surrounding land.
The present generation and the 2025 sculpture
Tenuta Sovestro is now managed by the sisters Alessia and Barbara, continuing the Failli family’s direct approach to agriculture and hospitality.
In 2025 sculptor Maurizio Masini created the marble work “Fontana simbolo della vita” for the family. Installed in the estate park, the sculpture represents time, continuity and the care with which the family seeks to maintain Tuscan hospitality and culinary traditions.
Terroir
Tenuta Sovestro lies in the hills of Località Sovestro, less than 2 km from the historic centre of San Gimignano. The vineyards and olive groves surround the estate, in an area long associated with the cultivation of Vernaccia.
Historical documents describe vines and olive trees distributed between areas facing mezzogiorno and tramontana—south and north respectively. The landscape is distinctly seasonal: the vine rows turn bright green in spring, summer sun warms the ground, and autumn brings the harvest.
The estate’s soils originated in terrain once covered by the sea and still contain marine fossils. This geological legacy is particularly associated with the mineral character sought in the estate’s Vernaccia.
The property is approached through an open, hilly agricultural landscape of vineyards, olive groves and fields. The old Via Vecchia provides a panoramic walking route between the estate and San Gimignano.
Vinificazione
Tenuta Sovestro manages its land directly, retaining control from plant care and harvest through vinification. Its approach is described as responsible agriculture attentive to the balance of the land.
Cultivation is based on observing the soil and seasonal cycles before intervening. Unnecessary interventions are limited, and quality is prioritized over quantity. Direct management allows agricultural decisions to be made by the family with consideration for their effects on the estate and its surrounding landscape.
The agricultural philosophy extends beyond crop production to stewardship of a landscape regarded as shared with residents, guests and future visitors.
The wines are made from grapes grown in the vineyards surrounding Tenuta Sovestro. The family follows the production chain directly, from tending and harvesting the vines through vinification.
Production is closely tied to each harvest and vintage, and the estate characterizes its products as being made in limited quantities. The current range comprises seven wine labels spanning Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG, Chianti DOCG and Toscana IGT. Four of the estate’s niche labels are each produced in quantities below 1,000 bottles.
The estate also makes extra-virgin olive oil from its own olive trees and offers two types of grappa alongside other small-production products.
Filosofia
Tenuta Sovestro presents agriculture and hospitality as two expressions of the same relationship with place. Working the land requires respect for its rhythms; welcoming people requires equivalent respect for their time and individual needs.
Its agricultural principles emphasize observation, restraint and responsibility. Intervention is understood as necessary but should follow careful attention to the soil, seasonal cycles and the wider balance of the estate. Quality takes precedence over volume, while direct family management keeps decisions close to the land.
The family also frames landscape conservation as a responsibility extending beyond private ownership. The surrounding countryside is treated as something shared with those who live in it now and those who will visit it in the future.
In hospitality and food, the corresponding values are simplicity, carefully selected ingredients, personal attention and an absence of unnecessary formality. The estate’s identity is intended to remain agricultural even as it accommodates guests, tastings and other experiences.