In this blog post, we explore the history, winery and locale of Bulichella that produces some of our most popular wines: Rubino, Tuscanio and Coldipietrerosse.
Bulichella came into being in 1983, born from the desire of four families originating from northern, central, and southern Italy to live together as an extended family.
In 1999 the Miyakawa family – Hideyuki and Marisa along with their children – became the business’s owners, and decided to embark on new projects from the experience they already had.
Hideyuki Miyakawa
Hideyuki Miyakawa, in 1960, at the age of 22 left from his hometown Maebashi, Japan, for a ride around the world on a motorcycle, with a friend.
After passing through India, Pakistan and Europe he arrives in Rome in 1960, where he stopped for some time as a reporter for a Japanese magazine. During a trip to Turin he met Maria Luisa Bassano, a young student about to leave for Japan for a year of study. Hideyuki and Marisa married in 1962 and lived in Turin where Hideyuki worked together with Giugiaro and Mantovani, to create Italian Design. In the 80s, together with other friends, they bought Bulichella which they then took over completely in 1992.
The Winery
Bulichella (42 hectares in total) has 17 hectares of vineyards, 10 hectares of olive groves, a pond, a vegetable garden with orchard, a part dedicated to agritourism, and a small portion of woods.
The turning point towards high-quality organic farming took place in the 1990s, when Mr. Miyakawa and his wife Marisa decided to invest in the production that was, and is, most typical of Suvereto and the entire Val di Cornia area: wine. The project then saw the involvement of some local trusted collaborators, who are acquainted with these lands and with this special microclimate.
"Low quantities and hand-selected grapes enhance and concentrate the quality of our grape varieties, hard work in the vineyard to interpret, year by year, the requirements and special features that will characterise our portion of production."
Vermentino is the only white grape used to make white wine at Bulichella. For reds, on the other hand, the winery boasts a vast selection: Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and a small portion of Petit Verdot; for varieties suited for raisining we have Aleatico and Viognier.
The Sangiovese is the coastal expression of this grape famed the world over for the areas of Montalcino and Chianti. Bulichella's proximity to the sea enhances its structure, compensating it with a sharp acidity that makes it elegant and persistent.
The Cabernet and Merlot found their natural habitat in the early twentieth century, and Bulichella's neighbours at the San Guido farm, with their Sassicaia, have helped them familiarise the world with this happy marriage between the Tuscan earth and the French grape.
The land is rich in ferrous minerals and large, clay stones, and are hard to farm, but are key to this unique expression of territory.
Bulichella continues its fruitful activity locally as well, with the Consortium of DOC wines of Val di Cornia, for which Hideyuki has served as president. As the consortium’s president, Hideyuki worked to obtain the DOCG label, a goal achieved in 2012, to raise the image not just of the wine, but of Suvereto and Val di Cornia as well.
Suvereto - the local town
Suvereto is a medieval village on the sea 60 km south of Livorno. It is famous for its Rocca Aldobrandesca which dates back to the year 1000. The wine production is closely linked to the more famous Bolgheri which is a few tens of km away.
Every Monday morning, beneath the town walls, a small local market is held. In the summer, a succession of events is dedicated to local wines and food; the most famous, the “Calici di Stelle” (the “chalice of stars,” 10 August) attracts lots of winelovers.
Farmhouse, Restaurant and Holiday Destination
Bulichella offers one of the most stunning and fulfilling agro-tourist destinations in Tuscany. There are several apartments and suites on site. The restaurant exclusively uses organic products grown on the farm and other nearby farms. Dogs and cats are also welcome! There are beaches, archaeological sites and thermal baths all in close proximity (along with, of course, plenty of wineries). Just imagine waking up to this view:
Bookings can be made on their website (https://www.bulichella.it/en) and we are also more than happy to help facilitate your stay if required.