A FAMILY
STORY
Ours is a family winery with a history of bold achievements by ordinary people — perhaps just a little more passionate and daring than most.
Guido Cocci Grifoni planted the seeds: to undertake bold ventures, to seek beauty, to persevere, and to be generous — sharing knowledge and practices with others. To take care of the small piece of the world we belong to.
And that’s what we have done — each in her own way.
For instance, it’s impossible to escape Grandma Diana’s sharp comments when she scolds us for using English words instead of beautiful Italian ones — but equally impossible to resist her sweetness and her delicious jams.
Marta and Camilla welcome you with energy and smiles that brighten any bad day.
And Marilena embodies stability and concreteness.
Together — Diana, Marta, Marilena, and Camilla — and all those who orbit around our winery: we are Tenuta Cocci Grifoni.
The official founding year of our winery is 1933 — though perhaps a bit earlier, as bureaucracy looked different back then.
But it was in the second half of the last century that things became more personal.
Guido Cocci Grifoni began searching for a grape variety that was nearly lost: Pecorino.
From that moment on, the history of local viticulture — and of our winery — changed forever.
The trail of Guido’s daring dreams is still visible in our ongoing projects, such as investing in resistant grape varieties and offering hospitality and experiences on our Terrace, in the middle of “a beautiful nowhere.”
Come visit us.
Once Upon a Time, a Man, a Grape, and a Land
The Geographical Question
Pecorino is a grape variety that spans the area of Offida in the Marche region and nearby Abruzzo.
There are differences between wines obtained in the two regions, as pedoclimatic conditions influence the final product.
In the Marche, the sun, sea breeze, and Sibillini Mountains create special conditions that allow this grape to express unique and refined sensations.
Historical Notes
The Piceno area was known since Roman times for its vocation for wine production.
And Pecorino is an ancient grape found throughout the Marche region, especially in the south.
With small, sparse berries and low yield, Pecorino has never compromised — it refused to adapt to change and remained faithful to its nature.
This stubbornness brought it close to extinction.
In the mid-1800s, when phylloxera destroyed almost all European vineyards, traces of Pecorino vines survived only near Arquata del Tronto (AP), then a remote inland area.
Its altitude of 700 meters above sea level protected Pecorino from the devastating pest.
In 1982, Guido Cocci Grifoni learned of this ancient grape: Pecorino.
He began tracing it.
He alone recognized the potential of this slightly wilted-clustered grape (hence one of its old names — but more on that later).
Against common opinion, he found the original vines in a semi-abandoned vineyard in Arquata del Tronto.
He grafted some onto his land and shared both knowledge and cuttings with other local farmers.
The Turning Point
After grafting several plants, between 1984 and 1990, Guido Cocci Grifoni carried out multiple experiments to identify the most suitable soil, discovering that Pecorino prefers hilly, fresh terrains.
The first mother vineyard, created in 1987, still exists today and faces northwest.
In Purity
Guido’s choices were bold.
Because of its high alcohol content and pronounced acidity, Pecorino was often used to improve Falerio — a blend of white wines — but Guido proposed it as a pure varietal.
What he created was an intense, independent product — described as a powerful, opulent, warm white wine with characteristics akin to a red, whose fruit aromas elevate with time, balanced by mineral notes.
With only 1,800 bottles, Pecorino made its debut on the market in 1990.
Over the next ten years, with production managed exclusively by Tenuta Cocci Grifoni, its success drew attention from other wineries, who began cultivating it too.
Pecorino became a symbol of attention to the land, representing the typicity and heritage of a unique and unrepeatable terroir.
Its rediscovery stands as a symbol of the tradition and flavor of a territory to know, share, and respect.
Curiosities
Pecorino offers another delightful curiosity for those who love the flavor of words as much as wine — its name.
It likely derives from the fact that sheep (pecore) grazing along paths enjoyed eating its sweet berries.
Before becoming its official name, the grape was known by various names: vissanello, mosciarello (from the cluster’s shape), mosciolo, promotico, vecià.
Over time, all these synonyms disappeared, and the grape became universally known as Pecorino.
Would you like to know more?
There is a book about it: Vino Pecorino – Discover, Taste and Pair a Great Italian Wine.
