Rolling hills and sparse family farms dot the landscape around Lake Trasimeno, a sprawling body of water fed only by rainfall with no outlet. The largest lake in Umbria, and the 4th largest in Italy, Trasimeno is home to an ancient viticulture, dating back to the Etruscan and Roman times. While the soils are even older, characterized by Pleistocene fluvial-lacustrine sediments, meaning associated with lakes or flowing water. Standing on the hilltop outside of Madrevite winery, one can see the Tuscan landscape rising up across the shallow blue lake.

It was a clear, chilly day, barely warmed by the November sun, when I first met Nicola in 2021. I had already fallen in love with Il Reminore, a macerated Trebbiano Spoletino, and I was excited to meet the man behind the bottles.  My expectations of an american style wine tasting were obliterated by the generous feast of grains, olive oil, and beans from his land, paired with bottle after bottle, vintage after vintage, of Nicola’s wines.  I have since learned that wine tasting at Madrevite is no less than a 3 hour indulgence of pure passion, excitement, and deep conversation.      

Nicola Chiucchiurlotto is a third-generation farmer, tending 60 hectares on the border of Umbria and Tuscany.  Nicola is passionate, political, and loves a deep conversation about current events. He firmly believes in an ethical and sustainable approach to winemaking, saying, “Today, being an organic company means making an act of love, believing in an ethical and sustainable approach, for us and for those who will come after us.”