I knew Mauro was going to be a special person from the first response to our wwoof (workers on organic farms) email. He said he didnt speak a lot of english – and we dont speak any of italian – but added plenty of emphatic character like ‘Fantastic’ and ‘Perfect’ into our brief online conversations.
Mauro is a wine maker and musician. Hardy tractor driving mudstomping farmer by day and outstanding cello player in town by night. He has been growing sangiovese and merlot grapes (mostly sangiovese) for the last 10 years and is vinting an amazing wine. In additional to the 2+ acres of grapes, Mauro grows and presses olives, apricots, various vegetables and has geese and chickens for eggs.
Its befitting that he lives only a short distance from Firenze because he is really one of the last true renaissance men. Hardest working person I have ever seen! His cello can captivate your ears and mind while his wine is fit to share with Dionysus himself.
More photos of the full shoot are coming soon and I can say more then … I just really wanted to share Leanne’s polaroids of our shoot. Mauro has never been photographed (commercially) and needs photos for his website. He needs photos, we’re known to work for wine, it really was a fitting exchange on both sides. So there are film shots that we’ll also post soon.
-Paul
Glad you like the photos Jack! Mauro is truly amazing, and his vineyard and way of life is an inspiration to everyone he encounters. Happy that you were given the chance to experience what we experienced. :)
Thanks Brent! Keep up the photography as well! Someday we would love to photograph you and your wife! ;)
How cool Katherine! I would love to see your photos as well. Mauro is such an inspiration to us and we would love to go back to visit sometime! Happy travels to you as well. Hopefully someday we will meet on a wwoofing adventure. :) ~Leanne
I came across your photos largely by chance – I was a wwoof volunteer two years ago on his vineyard, and have hundreds of photos from my time there. I am so glad someone else has had the chance to meet and stay with him. If you look in the wwoof log in his kitchen, you will see my entry (likely warning you of scorpions and spiders!). So fun to see your photos. Happy travels,
Katherine Ogren
All of your photography is so awesome. I love it, I can’t stop looking at all your pictures. They are all so different, but equally as awesome. Keep it up so when I’m older you can take photos of my wife and I. :)
Kid with the D90 at Shannon and Nick Emsiek’s wedding :)
Today is a year to the day that I worked on Mauro’s farm. As much as Love where I am now, which is Cornwall England I really miss that summer on Mauro’s farm. Glad to see this photos. Thanks.
Jack