Cotarella

Late 1970s\nRiccardo Cotarella searched for land on which to put his winemaking plans into practice. After studying the area and its grape varieties, he chose the Poggio dei Gelsi vineyard, on a slope by Lake Bolsena at 400 metres above sea level, drawn by its south-west exposure, gravelly soils, and the ancient, rare white grape varieties that had survived there, including the once-famous and almost extinct Roscetto.\n\n### 1979\nFalesco was founded, owned by brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, both oenologists.\n\n### Later expansion\nFalesco expanded its holdings by acquiring the Marcigliano estate, covering 260 hectares on the southern side of the Orvieto hill in the municipality of Montecchio.\n\n### 2001\nRiccardo Cotarella was named "Best Winemaker in Italy." In the same year, Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella together were named "Best Winemaker in the World."

The winery is based in Lazio, not far from Rome and close to Lake Bolsena, in an area whose wines have been known for their quality for centuries, once supplied to the courts of the Roman aristocracy and the Vatican. The Poggio dei Gelsi vineyard lies on a slope by the lake at 400 metres above sea level, with a south-west exposure and gravelly soils. The Marcigliano estate, 260 hectares, lies on the southern side of the Orvieto hill in the municipality of Montecchio.

Ancient and rare white grape varieties survived at the Poggio dei Gelsi vineyard, including the once-famous and almost extinct Roscetto, which factored into Riccardo Cotarella's choice of the site.

Riccardo Cotarella makes both wines intended for quiet, thoughtful drinking and wines made to accompany food, the latter regarded as perhaps more important in the Italian way of thinking than a wine enjoyed entirely on its own. The wines receive some of the highest ratings from fellow professionals year after year, reflecting the brothers' winemaking skill.

Riccardo Cotarella holds that wine made to accompany food is perhaps more important in the Italian way of thinking than a wine meant to be enjoyed entirely on its own, and he creates both types—wines for quiet, thoughtful drinking and wines for the table.