Moroder

When you arrive at Moroder's property, though you may be a tad car-sick from driving up, over, down, and back up again thorugh the vertiginous hills, you know you've arrived someplace special. The setting is idyllic: a 52 hectare (about 120 acre) farm lying in a perfect natural amphitheater, just a few hundred meters from the Adriatic Sea. In view to the southeast is the imposing Monte Conero, a looming limestone mount that drops sheer into the waters below. Just down the road is the beach town of Portonovo, sporting restaurants with the freshest imaginable seafood. It is truly one of the most stunning and beautiful sections of the coastline anywhere on the Adriatic. The farm and winery lie entirely within the boundaries of the Conero National Park. 

The Moroder family arrived from Val Gardena, now in Alto Adige, Italy but then part of Austria, in the middle of the 1700's. It wasn't until the early 1980's however that wine, which had always been made casually on the estate, took pride of place. It was then that Alessandro Moroder decided to put the production of fine wine front and center for himself and his family. Within a few years, Alessandro had become the first to produce Rosso Conero (the local DOC for red wine) from only Montepulciano, instead of blending with Sangiovese as was the custom. He earned a coveted Tre Bicchieri award from Gambero Rosso for his 1988 "Dorico" - another first for the region (and has eanred several more since then). He has never looked back. 

Oldest son Marco earned his Enology degree at nearby Ancona university, and joined his father in the early 2000s. Marco and father have worked side by side ever since. But the work is truly a family affair, and more recently Alessandro and Serenella's other son Mattia has returned to the farm. This is a joyful, generous family that puts every ounce of passion and creativity into all they do. 

Vines cover about 28 of the 52 hectares - principally the grape Montepulciano. A locally famous restaurant "Aiòn" is on the property and an integral part of the family's work. Aiòn is a true "Kilometro Zero" restaurant as more than 90% of the food provisions are sourced directly from the farm's output - all manner of vegetables, livestock, grains, even olive oil and truffles. Most of the patrons are from nearby Ancona, but the restaurant is a regional destination. The farm itself leaves a zero carbon footprint, with solar panels covering the parking structures providing all the electricity it needs. It has been certified organic since 2011, but has practiced organic farming always.

Fermentations start spontaneously with native yeast, and sulfur is used minimally. Elevage tends toward large botti, even if Dorico is produced in barrique (only a small portion new). These are fabulous wines, produced honestly, with hard work and passion, by people who are truly some of my favorite in all the world.