History
The local cooperative and the construction of the winery
The Società Cooperativa dei Colli di Acquaviva Picena began operating in 1961. The physical winery at Acquaviva Picena was subsequently built in 1965.
In 1968, Piceno Superiore received a quality-assurance designation described as one of the first of its kind in Italy. This early recognition established the cooperative within the production area subsequently associated with Rosso Piceno Superiore and today’s Piceno DOC Superiore.
Collaboration and acquisition
A working relationship with Moncaro developed during the late 1990s. The collaboration culminated in 1999, when Moncaro acquired the Acquaviva Picena winery as part of its strategy of maintaining separate production facilities in the principal winegrowing areas in which its members operated.
Under Terre Cortesi Moncaro, Acquaviva became the group’s Piceno production site, alongside the Verdicchio winery at Montecarotto and the Conero winery at Camerano. Its role remained focused particularly on the red wines of the Piceno area, while also encompassing Falerio and the revival and varietal vinification of the local white grapes Pecorino and Passerina.
Development within Terre Cortesi Moncaro
The production model combines a large cooperative vineyard base with temperature-controlled cellar technology and maturation in Slavonian and predominantly French Allier oak, including barriques. The stated objective is to produce substantial yet approachable red wines at a balanced market position.
The wider cooperative obtained Equalitas certification in January 2021. Its current quality and sustainability framework also includes organic production certification, vineyard and cellar monitoring, targeted treatments, resource-management procedures and traceability throughout the production chain.
Terroir
Cantina del Piceno works in the hills of the Province of Ascoli Piceno, around Acquaviva Picena and within the historic Piceno area. The general vineyard zone occupies high hills relatively close to the Adriatic coast, normally between 200 and 400 m above sea level. Proximity to the sea moderates the setting, while hillside positions provide shelter; this combination is considered particularly suitable for red grapes.
The documented Piceno Superiore vineyards around the Rocca di Acquaviva Picena lie on sun-exposed hills descending toward the coast, at an average 150–350 m. Their soils derive from marine and alluvial sediments dating to the Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene. Sand and stone become increasingly prevalent toward the coast.
The documented Pecorino and Passerina sourcing area extends between Acquaviva Picena, Ripatransone and Offida, at 150–350 m, with south-east and north-west aspects. Here the same marine-alluvial geological origin produces a transition from clay-dominant inland soils to increasing sand and stone nearer the coast.
Winemaking
Vineyards are classified by altitude, exposure, soil composition, microclimate and variety so that their suitability and target yields can be defined. Enologists and technicians combine this classification with the members’ long experience to plan work in each row.
Disease protection follows guided and integrated pest-management methods. The approach emphasizes prevention through weather monitoring and balanced vine growth, with the aim of making vines more resilient and limiting interventions. Targeted treatments are directed toward the most vulnerable zones with the assistance of field monitoring and a weather station. Organic-vineyard research has also included the Vitinnova collaboration with Università Politecnica delle Marche, investigating substances such as chitosan as alternatives to copper.
Vegetative and productive balance is regulated through precise dormant and green pruning. Excess production is reduced by bunch thinning. Harvesting is conducted in multiple passes to capture optimal ripeness, with historical vineyard knowledge and climate monitoring used to plan both picking and vinification. Incoming grapes are classified and coded by variety, sugar concentration, sanitary condition and yield per hectare.
The Piceno Superiore, Pecorino and Passerina examples documented for the area are harvested by hand with careful bunch selection. Across the wider cooperative, organic experimentation began in 1980; the current organic range describes almost 300 ha of organically managed vineyards. Organic production is certified through CCPB, while sustainable and low-impact methods extend beyond the certified-organic parcels.
The Acquaviva Picena cellar is equipped with modern technology and automatic temperature control. Its maturation vessels include Slavonian oak and, predominantly, French oak from Allier, together with barriques.
Across Moncaro’s three production sites, the technical repertoire includes controlled-temperature fermentation, extensive use of gentle pressing, fermentations with selected varietal yeasts, yeast lysis, low-temperature maceration, vinification protected from air and grape drying. Wines may mature in stainless steel or oak for 6–12 months, extending to 18 months for Riserva wines.
The documented Piceno Superiore process provides a specific example of local red-wine production: hand-selected grapes are fermented in stainless-steel tanks, with frequent daily pump-overs and prolonged skin maceration. Maturation proceeds for one year in Allier and Slavonian oak, followed by bottle ageing in temperature-controlled storage.
For documented Pecorino and Passerina production, bunches are destemmed and the juice undergoes cryomaceration on the skins. Gentle pressing is followed by static settling of the free-run must and temperature-controlled fermentation with selected yeasts. Passerina remains on its fine fermentation lees in tank for three months; Pecorino matures on its lees in stainless steel for four months. Both subsequently age in bottle under temperature-controlled conditions.
Bottling for all three Moncaro wineries takes place at Montecarotto on modern automated lines designed to preserve the wines’ organoleptic characteristics and provide hygienic stability. Finished bottles are stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment recreating cave-cellar conditions, protected from light and climatic fluctuations until release.
Production controls cover raw materials, intermediate products and finished wines through daily internal checks and external laboratory work. Cleaning, sanitation and storage follow documented procedures intended to maintain hygiene while managing energy and other resources efficiently. Stems, pomace and lees are treated as by-products for further transformation by distilleries rather than as ordinary waste.
Philosophy
The winery’s declared goal is to produce high-quality red wines that are substantial and enjoyable while remaining correctly and evenly positioned in the market. Technology, temperature control and an appropriate production scale are presented as the means of achieving that balance.
Within the wider cooperative, the guiding principle is that the quality of work and the environment leads to the quality of production. Modern technology is used to recreate the conditions associated with fine, territory-linked wines that retain the varietal character of their grapes. Earlier collaborations in Chile and Australia informed an approach that draws on experience from both the Old and New Worlds.
The cooperative’s value system emphasizes fairness, transparency, regulatory compliance and precise communication. Customer satisfaction is pursued through control of the production chain, consistently high quality standards, preservation of regional typicity, expression of the place of origin and continuing research into product development, purchasing, vinification, maturation, handling and delivery.
Environmental, social and economic sustainability form part of the same framework. Priorities include responsible production, climate-change adaptation, worker welfare, efficient resource use, reduced reliance on plastic and non-recyclable components, recyclable packaging where practicable, and the protection of local environmental, historical and cultural resources. These commitments are governed by a corporate code of ethics and an Equalitas-aligned management system.