Le Coste

Luckily, Gianmarco Antonuzzi decided early on to give up his career as a lawyer in Rome and move to Paris to pursue a life as a food and wine journalist. However, his creative urge was so strong that he decided to learn winemaking from Bruno Schueller in Alsace, where he met Clémentine Bouveron in 2001. She had moved from Lyon to the north-east of France to study viticulture and oenology. In 2004, Gianmarco fell in love with an abandoned vineyard in Lazio near his parents' three-hectare home in Gradoli, known as 'Le Coste', with stunning views 600 metres above Lake Bolsena. Clémentine agreed to plant new vines in Gradoli and the two ended up not only falling in love with the place, but also with each other.

The soil is volcanic and rich in iron and minerals, which gives the wines a completely unique terroir. Lake Bolsena has a major influence on the individual plots, and the temperature can vary enormously depending on the location and altitude. The vines are planted among olive trees, chestnut trees, oaks and wild shrubs. The vineyards of Le Coste are not ploughed, and grass and weeds grow freely to harmonise nature and landscape naturally so that the vines can benefit from biodiversity.