On one of Will’s annual summer pilgrimages to Italy, he got a little lost while driving between our producers in Tuscany and the Marche. In desperate need of a break and something to eat, he spotted a sign for a winery serving lunch and decided to stop in before continuing his longer-than-expected journey. The property he stumbled upon was I Girasoli di Sant'Andrea, where he had the good fortune of meeting the Gritti family and discovering their remarkable wines. 

In 1994, Massimiliano Gritti and his wife Ursula decided to leave Venice and purchased a 120-hectare farm in the peaceful Niccone River valley near Umbertide. The farmhouse was called Ca’ Andrea and had a small vineyard, olive groves, farmland, a vegetable garden, and woodland. The couple fell deeply in love with the land and knew it would be the perfect place to raise their children, Andrea and Pilar.

After Massimo’s early passing, Ursula poured her energy into the land, gradually shaping the farm into a vineyard-focused estate. It now encompasses roughly 40 hectares of vines: it is a patchwork of local grapes and well-loved classics, including the oldest parcels planted in 1998. The hills of this corner of Umbria offer a rare microclimate perfect for viticulture: constant breezes, clear mornings, and gentle temperature swings that guide the grapes to a slow, steady ripening.

In 2019, after years of study and work abroad, Andrea and Pilar returned home determined to make their own mark on the land. They started their own label (Andrea Pilar) and moved away from the conventional farming practices of their parents, embracing responsible agriculture, soil health, and the natural balance of the vines. They oversee every aspect of the work: the vineyards, the cellar, the daily decisions and the long-term vision. They are now the face and the future of the estate.

When we asked Pilar to describe their ethos, she said: 

“We think of wine as something alive, authentic, and spontaneous—capable of expressing the grapes it comes from and the land that gave birth to them.
This is why we keep intervention to a minimum, preferring a touch of natural imperfection over polished winemaking. We love wines that don’t hide who they are—wines that stand proudly in their truth rather than in an artificial appearance.”

Andrea and Pilar want their wines to be honest, vibrant, and easy to enjoy—wines meant for picnics, shared meals, and long conversations. Despite their humble intentions, a tremendous amount of effort goes into their craft. Harvest takes place parcel by parcel from mid-September to mid-October. Grapes are brought immediately to the cellar, where everything follows a natural, respectful approach. Fermentations are spontaneous, relying solely on indigenous yeasts, and the wines ferment in stainless steel tanks and ten 40-hl oak conical vats. Certain wines undergo malolactic fermentation and aging in oak; however, whether in steel, cement, or wood, the role of the cellar is to accompany the wine, never to dominate it.

Like many of the young producers in our portfolio, Andrea and Pilar have ambitious goals for their winery and their region. Their greatest hope is to highlight the territory by producing wines that reflect the character of the Upper Tiber Valley. They aim to convey the identity of their vineyards and their land in every bottle, building a direct connection between the wine and those who enjoy it through transparency, authenticity, and craftsmanship. We think they’re already off to a wonderful start.