In 1998 Marco Cecchini was studying international economics in Udine when his grandfather Alfio asked him to look after four vineyard plots in Faedis. He called some friends, worked the vines through a full season, and never went back to economics. That straightforward pivot became the foundation of one of Friuli's most personally committed small estates.
Backstory
Marco began with half a hectare and a great deal of enthusiasm, learning viticulture and winemaking from the ground up. He converted to organic farming unofficially from 2004 and received formal certification in 2014. By that point he had expanded to eight hectares, planted across the gently rolling hills surrounding Faedis. Since 2005 he has worked in partnership with enologist Sonia Dell'Oste, his life and professional partner, and the two bring complementary skills to every stage of production.
The Region
Faedis sits in the Colli Orientali del Friuli, halfway between Udine and the Slovenian border, in the northeastern corner of Italy. The eastern hills capture both the moderating influence of the Adriatic and the continental cold descending from the Julian Alps, creating a climate well-suited to preserving freshness and aromatic precision in white wines. Limestone-rich soils dominate the estate's parcels, providing good drainage and mineral tension.
Vineyards and Farming
Marco makes five passes through each vine every year by hand, attending to canopy management, leaf removal, and the removal of compromised bunches with a degree of vine-by-vine attention that is rare even among small estates. The approach uses only sulfur and copper as treatments, excluding all synthetic inputs. He describes his philosophy as that of "an artisan in winemaking but an artist in the interpretation of my terroir," and the care he gives each individual vine reflects that conviction. Total production runs to around 50,000 bottles annually.
Winemaking
Grapes are harvested and handled to minimize oxidation, with an emphasis on preserving freshness from vineyard to bottle. The winery produces both organic and more traditionally styled wines, allowing Marco and Sonia to work with the full spectrum of the territory's character. Grape variety selection focuses on indigenous Friulian types, though international varieties adapted to the local climate also feature.
The Wines
Friulano (formerly Tocai) is the estate's flagship white, expressing the limestone soils with a characteristic almond-bitter finish. Verduzzo Friulano, sold as Monsieur Verduzzo, captures the variety's honeyed texture while retaining freshness. Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is the main red, with the earthiness and plummy depth the variety shows in Colli Orientali's clay-limestone soils. The Bear line covers Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc in a more immediately accessible style. Picolit, the region's prized late-harvest grape, also appears in the portfolio when conditions allow.