The Sustainable Wine World of Carpineti Terrae, Taste and Experience it in Cori

Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 8/14/2023

The Sustainable Wine World of Carpineti Terrae, Taste and Experience it in Cori

Marco Carpineti is a household name for wines of excellence in the Lazio region most especially their Kius, the sparkling wine obtained from the classic method made from the indigenous grapes of the territory, Bellone and Nero Buono. From a small agricultural land in Cori owned by Marco Carpineti’s ancestors, it has grown into a 500-hectare activity producing some of Italy’s finest wines procured from the autochthonous grapes of Lazio from the time he began his viticulture adventure almost four decades ago.

Marco Carpineti, who directs the agronomic sector of the company is joined by his two children, Paolo and Isabella. Paolo joined the company in 2011 and currently manages the commercial and financial department, and is the mind behind the conception of the Kius line of sparkling wines. Isabella joined the family later on, in 2018 and she is currently behind Carpineti Experience, a project that links wine to the territory with cultural and sensory experiences.

Sustainability, respect for nature, research into tradition. These are presented in the three stars on the company emblem, which translate into an authentic culture of wine, the organic management of the vineyards and the rediscovery and preservation of the native vines of these ancient lands.

The History of Marco Carpineti

It all started in 1986 when Marco Carpineti began his adventure in viticulture in a small country house with a pergola of grapevines along the Via Francigena in southern Rome that he inherited from his ancestors. From here, the first estate came to life, the Capolemole di Cori, on the slopes of the Lepini Mountains in Cori, only 50 kilometers from Rome. Through the enhancement of the native grapes, he brought forth the first company wines, and with tenacious work in the protection of nature, he obtained the organic certification in 1994 which was among the first ones in Italy.

Experimentations on the care of native vines were carried on over the years and by 2006, the company expanded with the acquisition of a piece of viticulture land, the Tenuta Pezze di Ninfa. This strengthened Marco Carpineti’s will to comprehend the valuable nuances that the soil and climate can give to the native local varieties. In 2009, it was the turn of Tenuta San Pietro which marked further step towards the discovery and development of a unique and varied territory. And finally, in 2015, the latest acquisition took place, the Tenuta Antoniana, a summa of different territories that reach up to 600 meters from sea level.

The Four Estates of Carpineti Terrae

There are four estates that compose the Carpineti Terrae. Each is characterized by a particular microclimate and subsoil, each one is able to best express the particularities of its vines and land together with the story of the culture of wine. All of them are located the same area, within few kilometers from each other. It is an ancient territory, rich in history and culture. Viticulturally, it is an optimum area for the microclimates and the soils that are principally volcanic, rich in tuff and skeletal soils that are fundamental in cultivating different grapes where they obtain unique results. In addition to that, it lies between the Lepini mountains and the sea giving the vines the breezes that they need for drying up.

Tenuta Capolemole

Capolemole is the first estate of Marco Carpineti and it is the heart of the companywhere the cellar is located along with the tasting rooms. The estate covers 35 hectares of vineyards, has the shape of a farmer’s face and can be navigated through. It is a quiet basin and hills patiently worked over the centuries that welcome ordered vineyards and rows of vines, the visible value of tradition. Organic and biodynamic are the keywords of current production, to minimize the environmental impact and bring the research of ancient grapes to the forefront.

Here each hill – there are seven like the hills of Rome – has its own history. There is Colle Paolino, the cru from which the first Dithyrambus reserve was born , which concentrates all the strength of the Lazio lands. Collesanti is the hill from which an extraordinary white wine is born, decisive and direct. Then there is Colle Tufaliccio, which produces red grapes, with a soil rich in tuff whose history is linked to the origins of the Carpineti family.

Tenuta Pezze di Ninfa

Tenuta Pezze di Ninfa, composed of 15 hectares, is a precious piece of land made of vineyards and rock, and surrounded by the slopes of Lepini Mountaines. It is a balcony overlooking the Circeo promontory, nestled between the Lepini Mountains and Garden of Ninfa (Giardino di Ninfa), an extraordinary garden built on the ruins of the medieval town of Ninfa which is a natural monument in the Lazio region. The estate is completely dedicated to organic farming and the native Nero Buono and Bellone grapes are cultivated in the vineyards. Furthermore, the estate is the prelude to other marvels: the Valvisciolo Abbey, the ruins of Roman villas that emerge everywhere, the milestones, peasant houses and country chapels.

Tenuta San Pietro

Tenuta San Pietro rises in the place where legend recounts the existence of the Villa of Tiberius, in an enchanting natural setting with an ideal microclimate made up of mild temperatures, plenty of water and thick vegetation. Here, the Kius sparkling wine was born, a project that Paolo Carpineti created. Like all the other estates of Carpineti, the vineyards of Bellone and Nero Buono, destined for the production of the three kinds of Kius sparkling wine, follow the organic methods of farming. Kius has become an important protagonist of the unique bubbles that represent Lazio. In fact, Carpineti dedicated the area as the Bubble Park, a place that tells the story of sparkling wine and all its phases. At the Casetta Kius, a small structure immersed in the vineyards and garden, it is possible to taste their sparkling wine production.

Tenuta Antoniana

Tenuta Antoniana is at the crossroads of three villages: Bassiano, Sermoneta and Sezze. From here, you can see from afar, the bustle of the Pontine plain, the ancient villages near Rome, the sources of spring water from which the cattle drink, luxuriant woods and mountain pastures. The history of the estate is linked to theCecubo, the wine loved by emperors, poets and peasants during the ancient Roman period. The estate is a reserve of over 450 hectares which, in the main valley, lead to a bright level of rows of vines, arranged to form a labyrinth, a symbol desired and created by the Carpineti family. Planted in this unusual and unique ancient grape varieties such as Abbuoto (Cecubo), Bellone and Nero Buono. Tenuta Antoniana is an agricultural park for experimenting with ancient grains, safeguarding centuries-old olive trees, crop rotation and animal welfare, maintained according to biodynamic agriculture to embrace a green and sustainable future.

The Wines

The whole production line of the company is born from the enhancement of local vines and is achieved through different products capable of telling the facets of the Cori area. The company works according to the dictates of the ecological approach of biodynamic farming such as using of compost and working partly with horses. They are not certified biodynamic but their aim is not a competitive advantage on the market but a real return on the agronomic part, on the land and on the vineyards. The vines that they grow are Bellone, Nero Buono, Greco Moro, Cesanese and Montepulciano.

There are two company lines: Marco Carpineti for still wines; and Kius which represents the sparkling wine obtained from the classic method.

Marco Carpineti

The Marco Carpineti line includes traditional wines, the premium ones and two aged in amphorae. Among the traditional wines are the white Capolemole and the Collesanti from Bellone grapes, and the red Capolemole and Tufaliccio, a blend of Montepulciano and Cesanese. Whereas for the premiums, there is Apolid made from 100% Nero Buono, and Dithyrambus is a combination of Montepulciano and Nero Buono. Among the whites, there are Moro, produced from a rare vine called the Greco Moro, and Ludum, the passito which comes from the best bunches of Arciprete, a rare variant of Bellone. Finally, the recovery of more archaic traditions and the homage to ancient Rome have led to the production of two wines aged in amphorae, Nzù, from Cori’s romance dialect, “of going together, of being one”. There are two versions: Nzù Bellone and the Nzù Nero Buono.

Kius

Marco Carpineti is the first winery in Lazio to produce sparkling wine with the classic method from the native vines of the area, the first being Bellone in 2014. The first Kius Brut label is aged on the lees for 24 month. It is now joined by other two labels obtained from Nero Buono, Kius Extra Brut, a rosé wine aged for 30 months on the lees and the Kius Pas Dosé, vinified in white with the longest refinement of 60 months on the lees.

Carpineti Experience

In 2019, under Isabella Carpineti, the Carpineti Experience project was born, inspired by the 5 elements of matter: Fire, Air, Earth, Water and Ether. Its goal is to tell the story of the ancient lands by transporting people to an ancient future. In this regard, Carpineti not only opens the doors of its own reality but to make the entire territory known through multiple experiences. For each element, one or more comprehensive experiences of the the territory are proposed, from terracotta processing, to flying in the sky over the estate, up to riding e-bikes and horseback riding, without forgetting tours in the kayak or more straightforwardly, tasting the wines in the cellar.

"Personally," says Isabella Carpineti, "I believe that there is no great wine without a territory in which to take its roots. The great wine regions, such as Tuscany for example, have become a real brand because they have strongly believed in their places, seizing the great added value that they could give. Creating synergies, making places increasingly hospitable, respecting the environment and welcoming visitors in the best possible way is the duty of us producers. The goal of the company and the Carpineti family is to share the beauty of the territory to which it belongs and of the art of making wine."