PODERE MARELLA, Castiglione del Lago (PG)

Podere Marella is one of the first wineries in Italy to have observed the requirements of organic farming.

Founded by Fiammetta Inga in 1974, the estate is now managed by his son Cosimo Bisiach who inherited from his mother the passion for wine and love for the land.

Immersed in a scrub of centuries-old oaks and surrounded by cultivated fields, olive groves and reeds, the farm produces white and red wines Umbria IGT and Colli del Trasimeno DOC.

The cultivation criteria strictly biological and compliance for the fauna and for the local spontaneous vegetation they have allowed to keep almost unchanged one of the most beautiful oases naturalistic areas of the region.

Word to Cosimo Bisiach

“From an early age my mother cultivated her love and passion for the land by taking care of a large farm near the Tortona hills, inherited from her grandfather.

In 1974 he moved to Umbria where, alongside the cultivation of cereals and tobacco, he began the production of quality wines.

Making use of expert and passionate collaborators, it immediately adopts the principles of organic agriculture that will allow it to obtain, among the first in Italy, organic certifications.

It soon became a point of reference among the wine producers of the Trasimeno region, helping to improve the quality and image of the area's wines.

In the early 80s, once again as a pioneer, he began to open his house to guests, adopting the agritourism formula.

Since the end of the 90s my presence in the company begins to become more assiduous, but it is only since 2008 that I personally take care of running the business.

the pursuit of excellence and quality

My goal is to carry on the quality path already undertaken by my mother, placing the research and excellence what priorities of my work.

Today Podere Marella mainly cultivates the vines Sangiovese and Grechetto, typical of the Umbrian area, but there are also “minor” and lesser known vines, including Trebbiano Spoletino, of which I am very proud because it represents in an excellent way the value of the territory and it is a rare and still not very widespread grape variety which nevertheless has excellent potential.

Organic certification it has been from the beginning an added value to work on both for the wines and for the other products of the company including barley, wheat, spelled and lentils, to which the Trasimeno bean e the Aglione of the Valdichiana, local excellences surveyed by Slow Food (the Fagiolina is a Presidium, the Aglione is in the Ark of Taste). "

The Oenologists

In the middle of the 90s Jean Natoli, French from Montpellier, coming from one of the most renowned oenology schools in the world, meets Fiammetta Inga.

Natoli is an agronomist and oenologist, he founded the consulting firm Natoli & Co and, among other things, published the well-known "Guide pratique du vin bio", a manual that defines the framework within which organic winemaking evolves, starting from by the new European legislation.

His contribution to the company immediately proved to be important, contributing in 1999 to the creation of Godot Sangiovese, and subsequently of Godot Grechetto, from the Sangiovese IGT Fiammetta (to commemorate the retirement of the founder) - and with the 2016 harvest - of Marella Rosato, a wine that manages to accommodate market trends without compromising its character as a local wine.

The latter was developed with the contribution of the oenologist as well Guido Beltrami, who in recent years has joined Jean, together with Gwenael Thomas whose agronomic skills have made it possible over time to obtain more vigorous plants and increasingly better grapes.

Thanks to all of them in the last decade the labels of the Podere have obtained important awards and recognitions.

Our Wines

The goal, pursued first by Fiammetta, and now by Cosimo, is that of produce high quality wines using the most characteristic grapes of the region. The yield (about 50 quintals per hectare)

Deliberately contained and the quality of the bunches is rigorously selected during the harvest, which is carried out by hand in small crates.

The vinification takes place in a way traditional in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature with daily pumping over.

Macerations last on average 8-10 days with hot extraction towards the end of fermentation.

They were chosen for the fermentation of the Godot Grechetto wine and for the aging of the Godot Sangiovese French barriques of Slavonian oak.