Storia
Origins and construction
The Rosso Conero denomination was established in 1967, among the earliest Italian denominations of origin. Cantina del Conero was built in Camerano in 1972 and became a production centre for the red wines of the Conero area.
Qualitative renewal
At the end of the 1980s, the winery introduced a significant change in both vineyard selection and cellar work. This reorientation laid the groundwork for the subsequent revival of production in the area.
Moncaro investment and acquisition
Moncaro began investing in the Conero area in the early 1990s. A period of close collaboration with Cantina del Conero preceded the cooperative’s acquisition of the winery in 1995. The acquisition coincided with the creation of the name Terre Cortesi, an expression intended to represent several distinct lands, each with its own “corte.”
Vineyard renewal and new production projects
New vineyards began to be planted at the end of the 1990s, establishing a renewed viticultural base for the winery’s quality-focused production. In 2001, the winery began vinifying partially dried Montepulciano for the project initially known internally as Conerone and later renamed Nerone.
Organic conversion and sustainability
In 2016, 45 ha of vineyards in the Conero area entered organic conversion as part of a larger expansion of Moncaro’s organic program. In 2019, the cooperative joined Vitinnova, a collaboration with the Università Politecnica delle Marche devoted to improving organic-vineyard management and testing substances such as chitosan as alternatives to copper. Equalitas certification followed in January 2021.
Terroir
The vineyards associated with Cantina del Conero lie in the Marche, in the province of Ancona, around the Monte Conero promontory and within the Parco Naturale del Conero. The documented vineyard areas include Montacuto and Varano.
Selected vineyards occupy coastal positions approximately 130–250 m above sea level. Many sites are sheltered from cold northerly winds. Their soils derive from limestone-marl rock, interspersed with clay and areas of dark-red earth; rock becomes increasingly prevalent nearer the promontory.
Vineyard classification takes account of altitude, exposure, soil composition, microclimate and planted variety. These factors are used to establish each site’s suitability and appropriate yield. The proximity of the Adriatic Sea and the protective effect of Monte Conero are defining geographical elements of the documented sites.
Vinificazione
Vineyards are classified by pedological and microclimatic characteristics—including altitude, exposure, soil composition and variety—to determine their vocation and appropriate yield. Viticultural technicians combine this classification with the long experience of the cooperative’s growers when scheduling work in each row.
Disease protection follows guided and integrated pest-management principles. Weather conditions are monitored so that treatments can be directed toward the most vulnerable areas. The approach emphasizes prevention and the maintenance of vine balance, with the aim of strengthening natural resistance. Dry and green pruning regulate the relationship between vegetation and crop, while excess production is controlled through bunch thinning.
Harvesting proceeds in multiple passes to pick each site and variety at its optimal stage of ripeness. Climatic monitoring and accumulated knowledge of the vineyards are also used to plan vinification methods and timing before harvest begins. Incoming grapes are classified and coded by variety or type, sugar level, sanitary condition and yield per hectare.
Moncaro began experimenting with organic viticulture under EEC directives in 1980. In 2016, 45 ha in the Conero area entered organic conversion. The broader program also employs low-impact cultivation and guided or integrated protection. The return of beneficial insects and the presence of birds, wild boar, hares, porcupines and fallow deer are cited as signs of restored biodiversity in intensively cultivated vineyard areas.
Through the Vitinnova project, launched with the Università Politecnica delle Marche in 2019, vineyard management research has included the use of chitosan as an alternative to copper, seeking to reduce or eliminate inputs of a metal that accumulates in vineyard soils. Terre Cortesi Moncaro’s CCPB certificate covers organic production under EU Regulation 2018/848 and is valid from 30 April 2024 to 30 April 2027; the Camerano unit is included as a preparation facility.
Cantina del Conero is organized as a specialist cellar for the red wines of Conero. Red-wine fermentation takes place in shallow, wide tanks, a format designed to maximize contact between the cap and the fermenting must. This configuration requires close attention and substantial hands-on work by the specialist cellar team.
The barrel cellar has a capacity of approximately 3,000 hl. Its cooperage comprises large casks made from Slavonian and Allier oak; barriques from Allier, Tronçais and Nevers; and a small proportion of American oak.
Across the cooperative’s three production sites, cellar practice combines close manual supervision with modern technology. Available techniques include precise temperature control, extensive use of gentle pressing, fermentations with selected varietal yeasts followed by work on the resulting lees, low-temperature maceration, vinification protected from air and grape drying. Depending on the production program, maturation may take place in stainless steel or oak for 6–12 months, extending to 18 months for Riserva wines.
Bottling is centralized at the Montecarotto winery on automated lines designed to maintain hygiene, stability and the wine’s organoleptic characteristics. Finished bottles are kept in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment, protected from light and climatic fluctuations while awaiting release.
Filosofia
A single production philosophy applies across Moncaro’s three wineries: the quality of the work and the quality of the environment are treated as prerequisites for the quality of the finished wine. At Camerano, that principle is expressed through site-based vineyard selection, low-impact cultivation, close human supervision during red-wine fermentation and the use of modern technology where it supports precision.
The aim is to produce wines connected to their territory while retaining the varietal character of the grapes. Tradition and technology are therefore treated as complementary: established knowledge of vineyards, varieties and seasonal conditions guides decisions, while monitoring, temperature control and specialized equipment provide operational precision.
Environmental, social and economic sustainability form part of the cooperative’s stated policy. Its commitments include product quality with respect for the environment, stakeholder satisfaction, recognition of human resources, and the management of processes according to equity, impartiality and transparency. Supply-chain control extends from vineyard inputs and grape production through processing and finished products.