Ethical Wineries. – A project of territory, ethics and shared vision. In the beginning, love for a land.
It all started with a comeback.
A return to the roots, to the green silences of Umbria, to those hills that seem drawn by an ancient and gentle hand. Each of them, at a different time in their lives, felt the call of this land:
“…per because we were born there, because we walked there as children, or simply because, one day, we realized that we could no longer stay away from it. We wanted to do something that made sense. We wanted to take care of those landscapes, the abandoned stone houses, the forgotten vineyards. To give back life without distorting, to restore beauty without stealing the soul. That’s how we started: with our hands in the earth, our eyes in the details, respect in our hearts.”
And then, step by step, they found each other.
Six realities, six visions, one way of feeling.
This is how Cantine Etiche was born: not a brand, but a profound understanding.
A project that brings together wine, hospitality, architecture and landscape.
And above all, a shared ethic: the one that binds them to this land, and commits them every day to deserve it.
“We are six entrepreneurs, coming from different paths but united by the same idea of beauty, respect and future. All of us, in one way or another, linked to Umbria: because we were born there, because we lived there, or because – simply – we fell in love with it. And with time, the desire to give something back to this land became stronger than nostalgia. So, we decided to return to it. And to take care of it.”
Thus was born Ethical Wineries, a network of businesses that unites wineries, relais and agritourisms around a clear principle: to grow with respect for the land that hosts us. Not a commercial label, but a project of concrete ethics. Not just sustainability, but active care of the landscape, communities and the architectural memory of places. From the restoration of farmhouses, returned to new life, to the choice of cultivation and processing attentive to quality rather than quantity. They were not interested in simply making wine or welcoming guests: “we wanted to do it well, and together.”
Ancient lands, contemporary vision
The project of Ethical Wineries is based on the understanding that every place has a natural vocation. And that respecting it is the first step in obtaining authentic and recognizable products.
In the area of Narni, in full UMBRIA, where there are. Santo Iolo, Marchesi Ruffo della Scaletta and Collespino Tenimenti, the soils are of Pliocene origin: millions of years ago, the sea reached here. Today, those ancient fossil presences-shells, marine sands, mineral-rich sediments-make the soil perfect for Mediterranean grape varieties such as Vermentino, Malbec, Alicante, Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo and Sagrantino. Strong temperature fluctuations between day and night promote the concentration of complex aromas, giving the wines an important but always elegant and balanced structure.
Further north, at San Venanzo and Villanova, the terrain changes again. Here, 250,000 years ago, three volcanoes dominated the area. The hills of Villa Bucher e Tenuta dei Mori are resting on a unique rock: venanzite, derived from ancient lava flows. Perhaps without knowing it, Hans Bucher planted right there the Bordeaux vines he loved: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Chardonnay, Sauvignon and a mysterious parcel of Grechetto. Intuition, in this case, preceded geology: the volcanic soil proved perfect for enhancing his choices.
A few miles away, Nicolo Vicaroni experiments in his Tenuta dei Mori a new vision of wine: observing how the mineral characteristics of the volcano can transform native and international vines into something unique, with a decisive and unrepeatable imprint. And he brings this reality fully to life through extraordinary events, such as the sharing table, in the vineyards.
The ethics that unite
But Cantine Etiche is much more than a tale of terroir. It is a human alliance. A choice of sharing experiences, difficulties, successes and mistakes. The confrontation between us is continuous, honest, sometimes heated – like all true things
The basis of Cantine Etiche is a written, shared and binding commitment: the Code of Ethics. It is not a simple manifesto of intent, but a charter of rights and duties that clearly defines the legal and moral principles by which we are inspired every day.
This Code expresses the core values that guide our business and personal choices: respect for the environment and the community, transparency in relationships, attention to the quality of work and human relations. A code that does not only concern us entrepreneurs, but involves managers, employees, collaborators and suppliers: all those who are part of our network are called to adhere to it and contribute to making it alive.
Because ethics is not just a word, but a shared responsibility. And if cultivated consistently, it can turn into the best fertile soil: for wine, for hospitality and for the future.
“We don’t just talk about the quality of our wines or the beauty of our facilities: we also talk about landscapes to protect, traditions to enhance, and supply chains to safeguard. Ethics, for us, means this: doing business with a broader vision that includes the people, the history and the future of the places where we operate. And doing it together, because alone we can go fast, but only together can we go far.
We still have so much to learn. But we also have a common horizon .. And that already seems to us to be a good starting point.”
Ethical Wineries. A pact with the land. A shared choice.
