Wine, history and family roots in the hills of Rieti, in the heart of Lazio.
At Cantina Le Macchie, our story begins with the land. From our mountain vineyards to our working winery and historic cellar in Castelfranco, every place tells a different part of the journey from grape to wine.
Our Roots
Sometimes moving forward means returning to where everything began.
For generations, our family has been connected to agriculture and to the land of Castelfranco. Years later, we chose to return to those roots and begin a new chapter, bringing together family tradition, research and a contemporary vision of wine.
Walking through our vineyards today means walking through a landscape shaped long before us — a place where memory, family and the work of the land continue to live side by side.
This connection with our origins is at the heart of Cantina Le Macchie and of every wine we produce.
Castelfranco: A Story Written in Stone
Cantina Le Macchie is deeply connected to Castelfranco, a historic hilltop village overlooking Rieti.
Originally built in 1376 as a defensive stronghold on the border between the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples, Castelfranco was destroyed only a few months later during the conflicts that shaped this frontier land.
The Municipality of Rieti soon began rebuilding the settlement, encouraging new inhabitants to move there and strengthen its defences.
Centuries of history can still be seen throughout the village. Part of the ancient walls survives today, together with the gateway dating back to 1393 and the remains of the old observation and defence tower.
Narrow streets, stone passages and historic houses preserve the character of a place where the past remains part of everyday life.
The 15th-Century Historic Cellar
Hidden beneath Castelfranco is one of the most fascinating places in our story.
Our historic cellar dates back to the 15th century and still preserves traces of the ancient tanks once used for pressing grapes and fermenting wine.
Today, carefully restored and open to visitors, the cellar connects centuries of local winemaking tradition with the wines we produce today.
Its naturally low light and cool, stable temperature create ideal conditions for ageing wine. We also use these historic rooms for our traditional-method sparkling wine, which undergoes its second fermentation in the bottle here.
The historic cellar is an essential part of our Wine Tours: a place where visitors can experience the connection between wine, history and territory rather than simply hear about it.
Want to experience it for yourself?
DISCOVER OUR WINE TOURS & TASTINGS
The stages of
bottling
