Today isCandlemas.For centuries, in rural tradition, it has marked a turning point. Not because winter suddenly ends by decree, but because from this moment onward the light grows stronger and the landscape begins to change its pace
This year, you can see that turning point on the ground as well:Veronicahas appeared. Tiny, sky-blue and almost shy. Yet it sends a very clear message: the cycle has begun to turn once again.
In our bio-artisanal approach, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, one word comes before all others:observation.Respecting nature’s rhythms is not a slogan; it is the ability to understand what is truly happening before deciding whether to intervene.
Our sense of time is linear. Nature’s is cyclical.
We think in terms of goals and deadlines: producing, achieving, optimising. Nature moves through alternating rhythms:
day and night, cold and warmth, wet and dry, rest and growth.
A cycle is not a perfect circle. It is a dynamic rhythm, full of pauses and new beginnings—much like breathing.
That is precisely why the first signs of a new cycle are never dramatic. They are small, precise and almost cautious.
Why Veronica?
Veronica persica is a low-key indicator. It does not appear to prove that winter can be overcome; it simply tells you that the system is ready to awaken.
Its strength lies entirely in its strategy:
- It is small,so it takes very little for it to begin growing.
- • It lives close to the ground,within the soil’s true microclimate (temperature, moisture and protection).
- • It takes advantage ofbrief windowsof light and warmth, while the weather is still unsettled.
It is like lighting a fire. At first, you do not place large logs on it—you start with small twigs. Skip that stage, and the fire never truly catches.
This is the rule of every cycle:strength comes later, but it begins with delicacy.
Yin and Yang, Without Decorative Philosophy
Let me use Yin and Yang in a practical way:
- Yinis what gathers, preserves and stores (roots, soil, reserves).
- Yangis what pushes, expands and expresses itself (shoots, canopy, growth).
The mistake is not having more Yin or more Yang. The mistake is losing the dialogue between them. When one dominates, balance collapses. When they remain in dialogue, the vine becomes more stable and the fruit more complete.
Veronica is a typical sign of transition: from the stillness of Yin to the first awakening of Yang. No explosion. Just a gentle touch.
The Most Important Lesson: At the Beginning, the Soil Is Vulnerable
When Veronica appears, the soil is often going through a delicate phase. It has begun to “wake up”, but it has not yet reached stability. At this moment, one mistake is more damaging than any other:soil compaction.
If you compact the soil now, the consequences will remain for months: less air, poorer water infiltration, shallower roots and a vineyard that becomes more vulnerable when heat and drought arrive. That is why observation is not romanticism—it is technique.
An Early Resource for Life Returning
Veronica does not “produce honey”, and that is not the point.Yet it can provide an early source of nourishment.At a time when little is available, even a little matters. Every natural cycle begins this way: with small things preparing the way for everything that follows.
From the First Flower to the Harvest: A Series for Reading the Cycle
From today, I am beginning a series of articles,one plant for each stage of the season,to tell the story of nature’s cycle in the vineyard. Not to compile a botanical catalogue, but to use spontaneous plants as tools for understanding water, soil structure, growth and balance.
We are here in the Valdarno, a land where the seasons are never flat or predictable. That is precisely why learning to read these transitions gives you a real advantage: healthier fruit and wines with a stronger sense of identity.
In the next article we will observe another indicator plant: what it reveals about the soil, what it tells us about the season, and above all,what is best not to doat that particular moment.
Campogialli 2/2/2026
Giovanni Batacchi
Titolare e interprete del vino, dalla vigna alla bottiglia
Pian del Pino Winery