Choose 100% good, native, Tuscan wine. Ranuccio Neri's words.
INTERVIEW WITH RANUCCIO NERI
Who is Ranuccio Neri?
I was born in Siena in 1966, where I grew up and attended school until obtaining my scientific high school diploma in 1984.
What is your education after school?
I graduated with honors in Agricultural Sciences with a major in Viticulture and Oenology from the UCSC in Piacenza with a thesis on Sangiovese at the Viticulture Institute of Prof. Mario Fregoni.
I have worked as a freelancer in several wineries, including Nipozzano di Frescobaldi and Castello di Ama, in addition to working in the family business in Campriano.
In 1995/96 I was in California on a scholarship at UC Davis and for an internship at Gallo Winery.
I completed my technical training at the University of Bordeaux thanks to the winemaking courses directed by Professor Gilles de Revel.
When did you start working at Campriano, the family business in the municipality of Murlo?
During university I gained experience working in the grape harvest, then I started working full-time in 1994, the year in which my father Achille and I created the Campriano brand and the marketing of the products.
What were your technical choices about Campriano wines and products?
I chose to renovate the vineyard while maintaining the native and traditional Tuscan grape varieties (Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Malvasia del Chianti, Trebbiano Toscano), reducing yields and trying to produce easy-drinking wines that are adaptable to local cuisine.
In the cellar I tried to improve the cleanliness and fermentation dynamics, trying to obtain wines that were more elegant than powerful, in line with what our territory and our climate offer.
How did the idea of opening a restaurant come about, and how did “Amici di Campriano” come about?
In 2004 I opened the restaurant on the farm by reservation and in 2006 I took over its direct management.
In 2012 I opened a direct sales shop for my products in Monteroni d'Arbia.
In 2018, I “merged” the two by creating a shop with a bar and kitchen in Buonconvento, where wine and cuisine were to be the central themes, in addition to the products of other local farmers, namely the “Friends of Campriano”.
Why “Amici” and what kind of offer is there for those who come to visit you?
Friendship is a topic close to my heart, food and wine as ways to share time. Many people who work in the wine world are often customers at the venue.
The kitchen is open for lunch (12:00 - 15:00) and generally serves those working and traveling along the SS2 Cassia highway. We've tried to create a welcoming atmosphere for a break or a business lunch. The bar-shop is open from 7:00 and offers products from the company as well as those from nearby businesses.
Those who dine with us have the opportunity to taste our wines, which are often then purchased thanks to the pairing with simple, unpretentious cuisine.
My model was a bit like the French "routiers," with a menu that changes daily, featuring simple dishes that adhere to tradition. In the two dining rooms and on the outdoor terrace, we have both separate and shared tables due to space constraints.
