Piero Riccardi and Lorella Reale met while working in television. In 2010 they made a very different choice, leaving the screen to preserve the history of Cesanese, one of Lazio's most important indigenous red grapes, an hour from Rome.
Backstory
Cantine Riccardi Reale was established in 2011 in Bellegra, in the province of Rome. What began as a mission to protect a fading varietal has become a reference point in Italy's natural wine movement.
The Region
Cantine Riccardi Reale spans about seven hectares across the neighboring municipalities of Bellegra and Olevano Romano, on the Monte Celeste chain in Lazio. The vineyards sit on two soil types, one volcanic and one of Cretaceous sandstone, which together lend the wines both complexity and freshness.
Vineyards & Farming
The wines are certified organic by Suolo e Salute and farmed following biodynamic methods. Harvest is done by hand. Alongside Cesanese, the couple grows Malvasia, Rosciola and Riesling.
Winemaking
In the Cantine Riccardi Reale cellar the approach is hands-off: spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, no fining and no filtration, letting the volcanic and sandstone terroir speak through each bottle.
The Wines
The Cantine Riccardi Reale range includes several expressions of Cesanese, among them Calitro and Collepazzo, the Tucuca rosato and white wines from Malvasia and Riesling, all rooted in the revival of Lazio's native heritage.
