Madonna del latte

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About Winery and Wines

The ancient estate of Madonna del Latte is located in the hills between Orvieto and Lake Bolsena. Today it is a small family-owned winery founded in 2000 by Manuela Zardo and Hellmuth Zwecker. After travelling all over Italy as food and wine writers, we found the ideal location in Umbria to start producing our very own wine. The vines flourish on the slopes of rich, sandy volcanic soil at an altitude of 450 meters, where they optimally absorb the benefits of abundant sun and ventilation.

We produce wines with profound respect for the environment. Thus, we do not use herbicides, synthetic fertilizers or insecticides. For us, this is essential. Our vineyards are located in an environmentally protected area in close vicinity to a mineral water source. As early as the sixteenth century, Pope Paul III himself already appreciated the land's suitability for growing grapes and winemaking. He highly regarded the red wines produced in this region as “the most perfect for both summer and winter“ and often had vast quantities brought to Rome. Our spectacular barrel cellar, which was dug into the volcanic tuff in ancient times, was most likely an Etruscan tomb. The cellar’s temperature and humidity offer ideal conditions for the French oak barrels we use for aging our wine. In 2007 we expanded this ancient part by building a modern fermentation cellar that houses all the equipment necessary for producing wines that can rival those of the highest standards of international quality. Son Leon Zwecker, who completed his training at winemaking schools in Austria and has gained extensive working experience in California and New Zealand, is now responsible for the production. He works closely together with Paolo Peira, a Roman enologist, who earned his qualification at the Faculté d’Œnologie de Bordeaux.