When it comes to the environment, an individual can make a difference. Take the case of Montelpulciano’s Michele Manelli. This is a guy who doesn’t just recycle yogurt containers and switch off the lights. He took it upon himself to revamp an entire winery, deploying an array of renewal-energy techniques that enabled him to take it completely off the electrical grid. It took a decade, but now that winery, SALCHETO, is a model of energy independence. (They make pretty darn good Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, too.)

I first visited Salcheto years ago, before its revamping. Then I returned last fall after getting wind of this transformation. It’s pretty awesome, in a word -- inspiring enough for me to write a feature story about it, which is in the current issue (April 2014) of Tastes of Italia. If you can't grab a copy on the newsstand (which I recommend; it's much prettier in print), then you can read it here.

Oh, and if you want to see it with your own eyes, join our Tuscan Wine Treasures tour this spring. This testament to green thinking is in itself is worth the trip.