In 1998, Marco Cecchini was studying international economics in Trieste when his grandfather asked whether he would like to work on the small family property; at the time, his father was selling wine-making equipment. Marco seized the opportunity, but until 2001, only as a hobby, dividing his time between Trieste and Friuli. During this time, he learnt the ropes and, at the same time, fell in love with the job. So it happened that he became a professional winemaker. In 2004, they built the winery you can see today and started renting land in the area. They were mainly looking for vineyards that had a young heir who was not interested in being involved in winemaking. Today, they rent approximately 7 hectares. There are 1.5 hectares around the winery, the youngest grapes, no more than 15 years old. However, the rest of the vineyards are also within sight of the winery. In 2007-08, they reached an annual production of 40,000 bottles, then they cut back on the quantity and so today they only produce around 30-32,000 bottles annually. The decision was partly due to the economic slump. One of the main markets for their wine is the USA, but people have started buying cheaper wines there too. In 2004, they launched an all-new label, the d’Orsaria, targeting those people who are looking for lower-priced wines. For this wine, every now and again, they buy in grapes or sometimes wines that they then sell under their own label, although, only after a through quality inspection.
Since 2006, they have been cultivating their lands organically, but they are not certified, nor is it a goal, given that Marco is not interested in mere pieces of papers or permits, he is only concerned with doing what he truly believes in.
It’s like when you are in a relationship and you marry a woman. Your rights are changed; however, you love the woman just like you did before.
They only hoe the vineyards and use no weed killers whatsoever.
Above all, I produce my wines for my friends, so, I cannot serve them wines I would not enjoy drinking myself. Never trust a winemaker who does not drink his own wine!
People like Friuli Venezia Giulia because it’s not yet overrun with tourists. It is a peaceful place, where restaurants still serve real flavours, not like the kind of mainstream mass tourism, where you can eat nothing but some tasteless spaghetti Bolognese. One of their wines (Vigneto 1867) bears the name of a shepherd’s cottage built in 1867, which lies on the top of a vineyard, near Faedis. A beautiful place with a picturesque view, where you can only hear the humming of insects, with vines and olive groves surrounding it. These olive trees produce enough oil to satisfy the family’s annual needs of 30-40 litres. Looking around, on one side, you can see sheer, rocky mountains, while on the other, there is a river valley widening out in the west into flatlands.
My mother sometimes still feels sorry that I do what I do. You know, she would have liked me to become the marketing manager of some major multinational company, someone who travels around the globe. When I told her about my plans to become a winemaker, she asked, son, do you really want to become a farmer? To tell the truth, yes. Why not? Here, I feel like the king of the vineyards. Above me, there is the blue sky, surrounded by silence. Here, there is peace.
Here we also have to add that his wife, who creates remarkable mosaics, contributes an awful lot to his happiness! And why is it that Marco calls his winery an ‘independent winery’?
I listen to each and every idea and respect all of them. However, I always follow my own nose, so to speak. I make use of some of the ideas I like and ignore others that I do not. I do not particularly like trends. For me, a good wine is more than enough.
