A Year in the Marche

Founded in the Seventies, Moncaro is an influential co-operative and the largest wine-producing operation in the Marche

FOR THOSE who are unacquainted with this undiscovered region, an area of Italy often tipped to be the next Tuscany, the Marche is flanked by the Adriatic Sea between Gabicce Mare in the north and San Benedetto del Tronto to the south.

Travel west and you head towards the Apennines and arguably their most beautiful stretch, the Sibillini mountains.  From a wine perspective, the whole region could have been designed with vine-growing in mind.

Tightly situated between the mountains and the sea, the many valleys and troughs here offer a multitude of suntraps and shelters for grape growing.  In the heart of all this, lies Moncaro.

During the late Eighties the company embarked upon a period of serious investment, initiating new integrated farming methods in the vineyards and employing the most organically sound techniques throughout the winery along with up-to-date winemaking technology.

Today, there are a little over 1,200 grower members (70% of  whom are small scale, family holdings) covering approximately 1,800 hectares of the best terroir in the region.  Moncaro have two new wineries in red wine production areas (Conero DOC and Piceno Superiore DOC) meaning they now have three wineries (the other being in the Verdicchio DOC area) allowing them to separate and focus on red and white wine production.

All in all, 2003 has turned out to be quite a year for this dynamic co-operative. Turnover has increased to €16 million, with €6.5m in export.  Part of this success can be attributed to the members giving full administrative power to the President, Doriano Marchetti, which means it is run like a private company.

New Look Launch

May saw an extremely successful LIWSF, during which Moncaro showcased their new brand image.

Having worked closely with top Milan-based designers Robilant and Associates (who have previously worked with Frescobaldi, Mondavi, Lamberti, Montana Wines and Bigi), they invested heavily in order "to present a coherent, stand-alone brand image that runs throughout the company material and the range of wines", says Doriano Marchetti.

The result is a stylish, easily recognisable logo that represents three ancient castles in the Marche, and a coherent and striking range of wines developed separately for the on- and off-trade.

Additionally, they introduced a range of stelvin closure wines at the fair called Svitato (meaning "Unscrewed" in Italian), highlighting Moncaro’s forward-thinking attitude. 

Trophy Scoop

A real scoop in September was picking up a trophy at the International Wine Challenge Awards for Late Harvest Wine of the Year for their Passito Tordiruta 2000.  This was on top of winning eight Seals of Approval, three Bronze Medals, and two Gold Medals at the IWC in May and a further Bronze and two Silver Medals at the IWSC in July.

Moncaro have ambitiously aimed, over the past few years, to produce a "Great Red Wine from the Marche" and have enlisted the expert help of renowned consultant, Riccardo Cotarella, to work on (amongst others) a special red wine project.

Confident that the Marche grapes and terroir can produce a red wine comparable to other great Italian reds, Marchetti is delighted:  "The exposure to different winemaking techniques has reaped excellent results achieving great coverage from the wine press, plus a raft of awards [one of the Gold Medal’s at the IWC was won for the Villa Icona Sangiovese that Moncaro produce for Laithwaites].

These results reward the hard work and dedication of the whole Moncaro team especially winemaker, Giuliano d’Ignazi, and firmly establishes this innovative co-operative as one of the best producers in the Marche, if not Italy."

Organically Growing

In July, two 100% organically certified wines from Moncaro were introduced under the Waitrose own-label.  A crisp, nutty Marche Bianco produced from Verdicchio grapes and a sultry Marche Rosso, a blend of organic Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes.

The simple, stylish labels were developed in conjunction with Bathbased designers, Amphora, and UK importer, Eurowines.  Unlike other co-operatives, known historically for their high quantity, high yield grape growing resulting in perfectly drinkable but uninspiring wines, Moncaro has been ploughing a more ecofriendly furrow since the mid-Eighties.

It was around this time that their agronomists started asking their growers to use fewer chemicals and to plant more vines per hectare.  At the Novali vineyard at Castelplanio, for example, there are about 1,800 Verdicchio vines per hectare that were planted in the Seventies compared with almost 4,000 on the newest planting which is only 10 years old.

Of the 1,700 hectares of the Moncaro co-operative, all use integrated farming methods. A further 60ha are organic and 350ha have the EU Certification for "Low Environmental Impact".

Giancarlo Tranquili, one of the organic grower members, says there is nothing quite like drinking wine made from his own organic grapes.  He insists that despite being paid "a little more" for these grapes, the reason he decided to farm organically was nothing to do with money. "If I use chemicals, then I will be the first to absorb them," he says.

Leo Addis, Managing Director of Eurowines, sees no reason to advertise Moncaro’s social conscience on the labels though.  "We were concerned that people would not really understand what ‘lowimpact’ meant and could see it as perhaps a negative thing," he says.

Cooking

Moncaro are keen to associate themselves with Italy’s rich culinary heritage, which is why, in April, they sponsored the newly founded School of Italian Regional Cooking. The school is situated in a magnificent 15th century townhouse in the centre of the walled town of Jesi, the Palazzo Balleani.

The property also hosts the huge Marche Regional Enoteca (regional wine cellar). The school is affiliated to Slow Food, the eco-gastronomic movement that emerged from Italy at the end of the Eighties and is now active in more than 45 countries with 75,000 members.

The programme runs for 10 weeks and is on offer to foreign chefs wishing to acquire a deeper knowledge of Italian cooking.  Professionals from across the country, armed with several caseloads of produce from their own region, introduce pupils to dishes from their own region.

Gianfranco Mancini, the school’s Principal, says, "The aim is not to teach the perfect technique but to teach the feeling and true taste of each of Italy’s 12 regions."  Moncaro are currently finalising plans to build on their relationship with the school, and bring it to the UK, by offering scholarships to two UK chefs.

The sponsorship of the school is perhaps a natural culinary progression for Moncaro as one of the region’s foremost seafood restaurants, Le Busche, lies in the middle of their Montecarroto vineyards.

The restaurant, run by renowned chef Andrea Angeletti, attracts visitors from all over Italy and beyond keen to sample his fusion-style cuisine.  On the whole then, it’s been an exciting and busy year for Moncaro. Awards, launches and cooking schools aside, exports have risen by a healthy 10%.

As a general feeling abounds that Italian wines are starting to enjoy a renaissance, Moncaro are well placed to offer the consumer more than the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio or the international, well-known but slightly tired varietals. 2004 looks well set to see this rich, undiscovered region, spearheaded by the likes of the Moncaro co-operative, poised to make its "Marche".

Moncaro – Further details

Moncaro wines are available in the off-trade through Waitrose, Safeway, Threshers, Direct Wines/Laithwaites and Laytons.

For more information contact Moncaro’s UK importer:

Eurowines, 93 Bollo Lane, Chiswick, London W4 5LU

Tel: 0208 747 2100, Fax: 0208 994 8054

Mail: enquiries@eurowines.co.uk, Web: www.eurowines.co.uk