Terra : back to its roots

Co-founders Ottavio Marchi and Bruno Tam were born to make wine. They were engaged in vineyard and viticulture practices at a very young age on their families’ farms in the Friuli region of northern Italy.

They emulated their “Nonni” (grandfathers) who had been tending their vineyards throughout the economic upheaval of the great wars. Marchi and Tam acquired the necessary attributes of thrift, sustainability and respect for the land (the “Terra”) from these Friulani innovators. Terra’s roots are truly authentic and are cast in the rich history of its Friulani viticulture pioneers.

Terra back to its roots

Co-founders Ottavio Marchi and Bruno Tam were born to make wine. They were engaged in vineyard and viticulture practices at a very young age on their families’ farms in the Friuli region of northern Italy.

They emulated their “Nonni” (grandfathers) who had been tending their vineyards throughout the economic upheaval of the great wars. Marchi and Tam acquired the necessary attributes of thrift, sustainability and respect for the land (the “Terra”) from these Friulani innovators. Terra’s roots are truly authentic and are cast in the rich history of its Friulani viticulture pioneers.

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Terra's friulian co-founders

Although relatively young, Terra is steeped in history.
Ottavio Marchi and Bruno Tam ventured into planting the first vines in 2007, dramatically transforming a vacant 100 acre farm.
Our two hard working octogenarians, in true classical immigrant style, led the charge.
With sheer grit, farmer know-how and a slight touch of madness as well, Marchi and Tam laboriously prepared the fields.
They cleared them of a myriad of rocks (at times modestly known as boulders) reflecting where once the landscape had been bulldozed by glaciers or perhaps, where glacial runoff trickled and pooled long ago.

Through their never ending challenges of weeding and hand-hoeing, these co-founders ventured upon hundreds and hundreds
of tractor bucket loads of rock.
The broken shale was cleared to better prepare, cultivate and nurture the land for vine planting.
While Marchi drove the tractor and pushed towards the future, Tam, at his side, would cast a glance over his shoulder now and then to gauge the past. Together, they became strongly tied to the earth, the land. It was inevitable that they would decide to name the vineyard TERRA, the Latin word for ‘earth’. Our vineyard embodies the true sense of our co-founders’ ties to the very soil which produces the type of high quality wines they envisioned. Their instinctive knowledge and keen eye for good vine growing sites has allowed Terra to distinguish itself naturally. As they pushed themselves, so too did Marchi and Tam push the limits of the vines. They sought out marginal, extreme areas within the vineyard because they knew vines produce more intensely flavoured grapes when up against a challenge.

Farming is never perfect, just eternally hopeful, and Terra’s natural elements are firmly established in our co-founders’ Friuliani roots.

Terras friulian co founders

Although relatively young, Terra is steeped in history.
Ottavio Marchi and Bruno Tam ventured into planting the first vines in 2007, dramatically transforming a vacant 100 acre farm.
Our two hard working octogenarians, in true classical immigrant style, led the charge.
With sheer grit, farmer know-how and a slight touch of madness as well, Marchi and Tam laboriously prepared the fields.
They cleared them of a myriad of rocks (at times modestly known as boulders) reflecting where once the landscape had been bulldozed by glaciers or perhaps, where glacial runoff trickled and pooled long ago.

Through their never ending challenges of weeding and hand-hoeing,these co-founders ventured upon hundreds and hundreds
of tractor bucket loads of rock.
The broken shale was cleared to better prepare, cultivate and nurture the land for vine planting.
While Marchi drove the tractor and pushed towards the future, Tam, at his side, would cast a glance over his shoulder now and then to gauge the past. Together, they became strongly tied to the earth, the land. It was inevitable that they would decide to name the vineyard TERRA, the Latin word for ‘earth’. Our vineyard embodies the true sense of our co-founders’ ties to the very soil which produces the type of high quality wines they envisioned. Their instinctive knowledge and keen eye for good vine growing sites has allowed Terra to distinguish itself naturally. As they pushed themselves, so too did Marchi and Tam push the limits of the vines. They sought out marginal, extreme areas within the vineyard because they knew vines produce more intensely flavoured grapes when up against a challenge.

Farming is never perfect, just eternally hopeful, and Terra’s natural elements are firmly established in our co-founders’ Friuliani roots.

Terras friulian co founders

Although relatively young, Terra is steeped in history.
Ottavio Marchi and Bruno Tam ventured into planting the first vines in 2007, dramatically transforming a vacant 100 acre farm.
Our two hard working octogenarians, in true classical immigrant style, led the charge.
With sheer grit, farmer know-how and a slight touch of madness as well, Marchi and Tam laboriously prepared the fields.
They cleared them of a myriad of rocks (at times modestly known as boulders) reflecting where once the landscape had been bulldozed by glaciers or perhaps, where glacial runoff trickled and pooled long ago.

Through their never ending challenges of weeding and hand-hoeing,these co-founders ventured upon hundreds and hundreds
of tractor bucket loads of rock.
The broken shale was cleared to better prepare, cultivate and nurture the land for vine planting.
While Marchi drove the tractor and pushed towards the future, Tam, at his side, would cast a glance over his shoulder now and then to gauge the past. Together, they became strongly tied to the earth, the land. It was inevitable that they would decide to name the vineyard TERRA, the Latin word for ‘earth’. Our vineyard embodies the true sense of our co-founders’ ties to the very soil which produces the type of high quality wines they envisioned. Their instinctive knowledge and keen eye for good vine growing sites has allowed Terra to distinguish itself naturally. As they pushed themselves, so too did Marchi and Tam push the limits of the vines. They sought out marginal, extreme areas within the vineyard because they knew vines produce more intensely flavoured grapes when up against a challenge.

Farming is never perfect, just eternally hopeful, and Terra’s natural elements are firmly established in our co-founders’ Friuliani roots.

Terra's vineyard

Our 100 acre farm consists of ten varieties on more than 25 acres of planted vineyard which maximizes each zone’s potential and unique qualities.
As a boutique producer, the wines are made in relatively small quantities, thereby allowing Terra’s winemaker to concentrate on creating wines of the finest hand-crafted quality.

Our vineyard team is always up to date on the latest viticulture techniques. We harvest our grapes by hand and by machine.
We laboriously ‘bury’ our vines in the ‘terra’ to keep buds safe during the Winter and painstakingly dig them out in the Spring.
We are all dedicated to ensuring the vines thrive year after year.

Terras vineyard

Our 100 acre farm consists of ten varieties on more than 25 acres of planted vineyard which maximizes each zone’s potential and unique qualities.
As a boutique producer, the wines are made in relatively small quantities, thereby allowing Terra’s winemaker to concentrate on creating wines of the finest hand-crafted quality.

Our vineyard team is always up to date on the latest viticulture techniques. We harvest our grapes by hand, not by machine.
We laboriously ‘bury’ our vines in the ‘terra’ to keep buds safe during the Winter and painstakingly dig them out in the Spring.
We are all dedicated to ensuring the vines thrive year after year.

Terras vineyard

Our 100 acre farm consists of ten varieties on more than 25 acres of planted vineyard which maximizes each zone’s potential and unique qualities.
As a boutique producer, the wines are made in relatively small quantities, thereby allowing Terra’s winemaker to concentrate on creating wines of the finest hand-crafted quality.

Our vineyard team is always up to date on the latest viticulture techniques. We harvest our grapes by hand, not by machine.
We laboriously ‘bury’ our vines in the ‘terra’ to keep buds safe during the Winter and painstakingly dig them out in the Spring.
We are all dedicated to ensuring the vines thrive year after year.