In 1870, Eugenio Margaritelli, based in the heart of Umbria, created a company specialising in the production of mechanical tools for agriculture and forestry. It is from here that the bond between the Margaritelli family and the world of agriculture and forestry was born.
Eugenio’s son, Fernando moved the company into forestry and timber processing, and they became the main suppliers for building the Italian state railways. In 1962, the company set up a sawmill in France, on the outskirts of Beaune in the heart of Burgundy, in order to source the best oak, which would later inform their choice of wood to use in the Terre Margaritelli winery.
Fernando retired to Torgiano in 1948, where he started to cultivate and produce wine for pleasure. It was from this farm that his sons began to weave the threads of what would later become the Terre Margaritelli project. At the helm of this project we find Dario Margaritelli who, together with his cousins, represents the fourth generation at the head of the Margaritelli Group, of which the winery is the flagship.
Terre Margaritelli is spread over 60 hectares, all certified organic, 52 of which are vineyards located together on the beautiful hill of Miralduolo, in the heart of Umbria. The estate is located in a central position between Perugia, Todi and Assisi, less than 15km from Perugia airport.
Torgiano is a village historically linked to the world of wine, and is home to one of the first Italian DOC wines, Torgiano DOC, established in 1968. It also has a DOCG, Torgiano Rosso Riserva, which obtained recognition in 1990. Torgiano’s museums are famous, but equally important is the Brufa sculpture park located on the hill above the winery. This territory has always been suited to agritourism, a tranquil agricultural area that is perfectly central for visitors to discover the entire region.
The grape varieties cultivated here are typically the traditional varieties of Umbrian wine culture: among the white grape varieties are Trebbiano and Grechetto, while among the red grape varieties great importance is given to Sangiovese and Canaiolo.
Today, Terre Margaritelli produces 120,000 bottles of organic wine made entirely from grapes grown on the farm. It controls the entire production process, from the vineyard to the bottle, giving great importance to the oak used for the barriques, all produced in France with wood from the Bertrange forest and specially selected for its wines.
For years the company has focused on welcoming visitors to the winery, organising guided tours, tastings and events in the vineyard, with the aim of providing an in-depth understanding of the winery and the value of the people and the land that make its wines so unique. Many activities are organised, including dinners in the vineyard with live music, and educational grape harvests for children between August and September.
Wines to try:
The two Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG wines, Pictorius 2017 and Freccia degli Scacchi 2017, are both 100% Sangiovese, aged for one year in Bertrange oak barriques.
Greco di Rena Bianca 2018 is a 100% Grechetto from the Umbria IGP, fermented in new Bertrange oak barriques.
