Cantina Alchemica - RiLUCE

The Eighties: from organic and biodynamic to biotic\nIn the eighties, Giorgio Mercandelli experimented with organic and biodynamic methods at his father's company. Through this experimentation he found his calling in what he calls biotic philosophy, and stopped using any substances that could alter the natural character of the vines in the vineyard or of the fruit during winemaking.\n\n### The winery today\nGiorgio's winery, Cantina Alchemica, was formerly known as RiLUCE. It is based in Canneto Pavese, in the heart of the Valle Recoaro nature park. He works with vines more than a hundred years old and makes his wines by hand.

The winery is based in Canneto Pavese, in the heart of the Valle Recoaro nature park.

Giorgio Mercandelli works with vines more than a hundred years old. He uses no substances that could alter the natural character of the vines in the vineyard, following the biotic philosophy he adopted after earlier experimentation with organic and biodynamic methods.

Wines are made by hand, using no substances that could alter the natural character of the fruit during winemaking. The approach includes natural fermentation, extended maceration and bottle aging. Wines are aged for at least 5-7 years and tasted along the way to determine when they have finished maturing; after several years in the bottle, the wine's dynamic character becomes active, beginning to evolve, with lost qualities re-emerging. Special eco-friendly packaging was developed to protect the wines from heat, sound and vibration. Each label carries its own colour and a letter representing a particular vineyard and mood.

Giorgio Mercandelli describes his work as guided by biotic philosophy: through it he aims to reveal the beauty of nature and make the invisible visible. His goal is to create wines that go beyond ideas of terroir, trends and commercialisation. He sees his wines as emotions in liquid form — complex alchemical processes that begin inside each berry and carry the genetic memory of each vine. He holds that his wines are always versatile and can pair with any dish without distorting its flavour, and that every bottle, if listened to closely, tells its own story shaped by its genetic memory.\n\nIn his own words: "If people and nature share the same origin, reality lies not in flavour but in purity, and quality lies not in character but in harmony. A magnificent wine reflects the relationship between people and nature, because putting fruit in a bottle is like putting a tiger in a cage. Biotic wine expresses an image of nature, illuminated by the consciousness of its creator."