Petra

In 1997, entrepreneur Vittorio Moretti and his daughter Francesca looked for a place to establish a wine estate. With the help of the Italian oenologist Attilio Scienza, they chose the land of Maremma. They named the winery Petra, from the Latin word for "stone".

The land where the vineyards now grow was once inhabited by the ancient Greeks and Etruscans. Petra is part of the Terra Moretti group of companies, owned by its founder, Vittorio Moretti. The group now operates in four areas: winemaking, construction, shipyard design and tourism.

The estate lies in Suvereto, in the Maremma area of Tuscany. The founders say the landscapes, winds and sunshine that shaped the place thousands of years ago give the vines their strength.

The soils are made up of three layers:

• Upper layer: calcareous and stony, of tectonic origin.
• Middle layer: rich in manganese and metals.
• Deepest layer: contains plenty of limestone, which the winery says gives the finished wine elegance and aroma.

Petra takes a scientific approach to growing grapes.

Petra takes a scientific approach to making distinctive wines. The winery building was specially designed by the Swiss architect Mario Botta and has a striking modernist character.

The founders describe Petra as "magic on magical land". They present the winery as bringing history and modern life together: the spirit of the Greeks and Etruscans on one side, and a scientific approach to viticulture and winemaking on the other.