Also known as "Ribona", "Maceratino" is a characteristic vine of the Macerata area, in the Marche region, ranging from the Adriatic coast to the Sibillini mountains, at the foot of which our company is located. Right here, protected by the Apennine chain, it finds the ideal conditions of humidity, ventilation and soil composition. It is a white grape variety, with a thick skin, which becomes thinner when fully ripe. For this reason, the ideal time for harvesting must be determined with great care and precision.
There has been much discussion about its provenance. In the past, the hypothesis was advanced that it was related to the Greco of Campania, but recent studies based on DNA analysis have ascertained that, instead, Maceratino is a close relative of Verdicchio, and therefore it is undoubtedly a native cultivar.
Precisely the relationship with Verdicchio has prompted many winegrowers to plant new vines of the cultivar, aware that that link could guarantee results of equal quality, if only the same care had been used as for the most famous vine. In this way, Maceratino could also have entered Verdicchio's wake of fame.
All this has reinvigorated the local tradition of the vine and has favored the application of particularly careful winemaking processes, such as are reserved for the most important wines, in order to obtain results of similar value to those of the more famous relative. So much so that, due to the notable results achieved, even a sort of competition was born among the connoisseurs between Maceratino and Verdicchio - a competition which however honors the vinification of the Marche region, which has been enriched by another important protagonist.
Our company is particularly dedicated to developing the qualities of the vine.
It reserves at him one hectare of perfect clayey soil, the favored by the cultivar. The system of training is counter-espalier (with Guyot pruning). The selection of bunches and grapes is the one reserved for great wines. The pressing is soft, to ensure that the wine best inherits the source richness of the aromas and flavors of the precious grape.
We are "in love" with Maceratino.
Why? Because it best describes our land - the climate, the wind, the clay on which the vines sink their roots. And it tells of the effort in the vineyard - the pruning, the work of the land, the sweat of the sunny days. Finally, he talks about the vigils during winemaking - the continuous monitoring of the variables that channel the process towards the highest quality.