CerzaSerra San Pietro Rosso 2018

Adventure:   

Acid:               〚balanced〛

Alcohol:         〚13%〛

Body:              〚medium〛

 Fruit:               〚purple, rich & dark〛

Tannin:            〚perky〛

Intensity:        

THE WINE

This is made from a unique grape variety Magliocco, whose profile might best be described as feisty. Lots of fruit and spice in the wine and tons of dark complexity. With a profile of mediums (body, tannin, acidity, and alcohol) you might not expect the intensity of fruit to shine so brightly, but oh. She does. The berries are bramble-y with straight-up notes of earth. The spice is white pepper, black pepper and very savory.

THE WINERY

The “Azienda Agricola Filice”, located in the southern countryside of Cosenza, covers an area of about 8 hectares of the Donnici hills and precisely in the Contrada Fiego. 

This land was purchased by our Great-Grandparents who returned from the USA in the late 1920s, who decided to plant about 4 hectares of vineyards and 200 olive trees, given the excellent exposure of the land to the South-West, a sandy and dry soil, rich in minerals and a very favorable climate. 

Over time, first our Grandfather, then our Father decided in the early 2000s to renew the vineyards with all the advanced techniques of that time. The vineyards, planted in rows, are bred in spurred cordon system to facilitate processing.  

Currently, the management of the land (vineyards and olive groves) is directed by the Filice’s fourth generation. With the advice of some experts, in 2017 we renovated a small existing building located on the land and we also built a small cellar. The management of both, vineyards and cellar is aimed at the production of quality wines destined for a niche market. 

The vineyards have always been the main reason for the Filice family as well as emphasizing the production in quality rather than quantity of its product.  

“This is the reason why my brother and I (Francesco) decided to maintain what was an important winemaking tradition for our family. We have always known that this was our passion and we strive to carry on this passion with all the possible endeavors.” 

In the middle of the vineyards, alternating with ancient olive trees stands "A Cerzaserra" which represents the agora, the meeting place, the place of the town discussions, and the main product of the Donnici hills… the wine. For this reason, we wanted to name the brand of our wines “Cerzaserra Wine”. 

The harvest is a real party. Gathering the fruits of the season, grown with sacrifices and passion is what gratifies us the most. The vineyard, the colors, the freshly picked grapes, the inebriant smell of the must; all of those frame a spectacular scenario. It is precisely the first step towards the winemaking process and towards the production of the nectar fruit of our land that we love the most. 

The passion we have for our land and the love for the winemaking bound also our respect and love for biodiversity intended as a combination of agricultural ecosystems. 

We believe that every living thing, including plants, animals, and humans shall live in harmony to protect Mother nature; this is the reason why the Azienda Agricola Filice embraced the Vegan Agriculture, emphasizing the healthy soil life, the closure of organic cycles, and the systematic humus build-up. 

Generally, animals are an integral part of the biodiversity on a farm, but in our vineyard animal byproducts never come into contact with our vines, and animal-based fining agents are never used during the winemaking process.  

The only fining agents used in our wine are Bentonite and PVPP (Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone) wine stabilizers. 

We continuously look forward to safeguarding the environment by increasing the use of eco-friendly techniques, exploiting solar energy, and sustainable energy. For example, starting this year we have abandoned the use of the regular corks in favor of eco-sustainable corks. 

It is difficult to choose which one is our favorite wine. It depends on the circumstance, the emotions felt at that moment: definitely sip a glass of "Vasciu" wine as an aperitif we think it is the best choice; on the other hand, in front of a good meal, or in front of a fireplace with the person you love or with your loved ones and friends a nice glass of “San Pietro” is the right choice. 

It is the passion, the feelings to return to ancient traditions, the flavor of the freshly pressed must, nature, and the vineyard’s colors that make what we do so unique. Taste a glass of CerzaSerra to immerse yourself in a dream; a dream where you can “UBRIACARTI DI EMOZIONI” (get drunk with emotions). 

The San Pietro is born in a place with ancient history. After the second world war, Peppino Felice, returning from the USA together with his children, bought the land and started the production of wine grapes. On this land today we realize the dream of a production of an excellent taste of history that we hope enchants the palates of today and tomorrow.

Meet the wine producers at Cerza Serra, Francesco Filice & Michael Mcgranitt