The vineyards at La Pievuccia Agriurismo

HCL: You may think that these Italians are lazy when you see all the problematic grass growing in the vineyard here of La Pievuccia Agriturismo, but actually the grass is used for many different things. In Texas, we know that the grass/weeds steal the water from our plants and so we pull them out. But here, during the rainy season the grass and the plants share the excess water, which means that the grass can be used for other reasons. The grass acts as an organic fertilizer for the grape. It also allows for oxygen to get into the soil through the root canals in the ground. Then, when fungus and insects come to feed, they can feed on the grass instead of the vines that are lower to the ground. It does not protect the vines entirely but it does help with the problem. When the dry season comes and the water becomes scarce that is when the grass is finally cut so that the plants are not competing for the little water. As you can see, even with the grass, the vineyard is the one of the most beautiful places I have seen so far on our trip. Even the Castle of Montecchio can be seen in the background of this photo. The lunch provided here at the winery/bed and breakfast was my favorite meal thus far our trip. DELICIOUS!