Mario Macciocca's path to wine ran through a football pitch and a cocktail bar. A near-graduate in physics who spent years behind the stick at Rome's historic La Palma club, he eventually followed a different call — back to the countryside his grandfather Giuseppe had farmed since 1945. Today he works four hectares of biodynamic vines on the steep limestone slopes above Piglio in Lazio, where Cesanese has been the defining red grape for centuries.
The Region
Mario Macciocca works at Piglio, in the foothills of the Apennines southeast of Rome, at the heart of the Cesanese del Piglio DOC — one of only two appellations in Lazio dedicated to this ancient variety. The Scalambra mountains form the backdrop, and the surrounding Simbruini chain creates a cooler, more continental microclimate than the Roman plain below. Limestone-marl soils define the terroir, bringing freshness and structure to wines from this still-emerging area.
Vineyards and Farming
Mario farms four hectares on the Pila Rocca and Carmine slopes of the Scalambra range, working biodynamically without synthetic inputs. The main variety is Cesanese — Lazio's great, largely forgotten red grape — supplemented by small amounts of Passerina and Malvasia Puntinata. The vineyard represents a continuation of his grandfather's work on this same land, now taken forward with a far more rigorous and intentional approach.
Winemaking
Mario ferments with native yeasts only, and ages his wines in either stainless steel tanks or wooden barrels depending on the cuvée. No commercial additives enter the cellar. Wines are unfiltered and unfined, with little to no added sulfites. The approach is resolutely hands-off — a direct reflection of what the site and vintage offer each year.
The Wines
The Mario Macciocca lineup is organized around the Monocromo series: Monocromo #1 (Passerina del Frusinate bianco), Monocromo #2 (Cesanese rosso), and Monocromo #3 (rosato). A more complex Civitella Rosso is aged in large barrels. Seven labels in total, all making a compelling case for Lazio's natural wine potential.
