Dune Bianche - Due Dune

Giampiero Diruggiero produces wine in two Italian regions: Basilicata under "Dune Bianche" and in Umbria under "Due Dune" (with his friend and right hand Marisa Mastrosimone). Born and raised in Basilicata, but living in Umbria, he wanted to produce wines from both these regions. His grandfather was a farmer and landowner and his father is an agronomist, which exposed Giampiero to agriculture his whole life. As was custom in his town, he started making wine at a young age with his father. In high school, he studied oenology, then moved to Florence at the age of 19 to further his oenology studies in university for 3 years. Following graduation, he started work in Tuscany, subsequently moving for 2 years to the Veneto Valley and Friulia Venezia Giulia to obtain his Master's degree. He worked in conventional wineries in the Collio area following graduation. 

 

This journey was instrumental in knowing and understanding the work of a winery. These experiences allowed him to learn exactly what he did not want to do, and most of all what he did not want to become. These worlds did not feel right, and did not feel free. During the harvest of 2019, Giampiero left the world of conventional wine and returned to Basilicata to make natural wine with his father once more. This was the inception of Dune Bianche. Giampiero works with farmers in Basilicata and participates in the vineyard management.

 

Basilicata is most known as having arid lands and an aging population. To Giampiero, Basilicata is a wonderful, charming place with an aura of mystery and a unique landscape. The "Calanchi" valley (badlands) create an enchanting lunar landscape. "Dune Bianche" signifies "White Dunes," and refers to the clay dunes surrounding his town. While winemaking has a long history in the area, natural winemaking is nonexistent. Giampiero goes against the current, against the conventional thinking of his area, against industrial culture and classical regional enology that ruined craftsmanship and biodiversity. 

 

Life brought Giampiero in a different direction once more, moving to Umbria and buying a country house with his wife. They opened an accomodation facility and located some vineyards in the area. He did not want to stop the momentum of Dune Bianche, so in 2021, he started transporting his grapes from Basilicata to Umbria. Logistically, it made sense to make the wine in Umbria. His new location also brought the possibility of diversifying his wines, hence the creation of the "Due Dune" project. For this project, he brought one of his best friends on board, wine specialist Marisa Mastrosimone, also a native of Basilicata, but living in Umbria as well. The name "Due Dune" means "Two Dunes," which represents Marisa and Giampiero moving from Basilicata to Umbria. In the project, Marisa is Giampiero's right hand, helping in every stage of production. 

 

Giampiero's wines blend tradition with his accrued knowledge and life experience. They are a product of spontaneous fermentation with no filtration, clarification, and without the addition of adjuvants or chemical additives. Minimal sulphur dioxide is added if needed, on a case by cases basis. The project embodies experiementation and pushing limits. In the vineyards, treatments are limited to the use of copper and sulphur (maximum 3 times a year in consideration of climate change and rainfall). Manure is used to fertilize the soil. The Umbrian vineyards are managed exclusively by Giampiero, who conducts pruning, green pruning, treatments, etc. Currently, he rents space in a winery until the realization of his future project of building his own winery and planting a vineyard in front of his house, targeted for the next year. Total production as of 2023 ~10,000 botles.