A lawyer by profession, Francesco Torre gravitated towards winemaking because of his love for the Emilian countryside and its often forgotten potential for creating some of Italy’s best wines. In his words, “living in the countryside may not be easy but it is one of the most rewarding experiences life can share with you.”

The estate has 10 hectares of vineyards and produces 25,000 bottles annually. Francesco handles everything related to winemaking, as well as the commercial side of affairs, whereas his partner Elena takes care of everything pertaining to the marketing of il Maiolo. The estate’s winemaking style is as minimalist and least interventionist as possible. No fertilizers are ever used in its vineyards which have been organically farmed since 1996. Wines are only fermented with native yeasts and minute quantities of sulfur are added only at the time of bottling (2g/hL).

Lastly and perhaps most importantly, all wines are aged for a minimum of eight years before being released onto the market. It is this long ageing process in the estate’s cellars which brings the wine into a state of organoleptic stability. Natural wine done right. Il Maiolo’s wines are a perfect window into the unique terroir of Emilia Romagna. Purity of fruit and longevity: these are hallmark characteristics of il Maiolo’s wines. Wines of Maiolo The wine "il Maiolo", with a typical geographical indication, comes from the blend, in adequate proportion, of the four qualities of grapes grown on the farm: barbera, bonarda, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The harvest is done manually with selection of the best grapes. The vinification takes place with soft pressing in steel tanks, where the first fermentation takes place. Ten pumpovers follow and, when the must arrives dry, it is drawn off and transferred into large oak barrels where the malolactic fermentation takes place. After a year in wood, the wine is bottled in the company and then aged in the bottle for at least a year, before being put on sale. The “il Maiolo” wine has a deep and brilliant ruby red color, an intense aroma with vinous hints, full-bodied and balanced on the palate, with a remarkable structure and long persistence.