The Castelli del Duca brand is the brainchild of the most important winery in the hills of Piacenza and of the Medici family, and its unique wines are sold all over the world at extremely competitive prices. The brand is based on the western side of the Emilia area, close to Lombardy and Piedmont, in the lands that were ruled over by the House of Farnese, Dukes of Parma and Piacenza, between the 16th and 18th centuries, who were responsible for building many of the castles, monuments and hamlets scattered throughout the gently rolling hills of the local landscape.
The presence of vines here dates back as far as 2000 BC, and by Roman times Piacenza's wines were held in such high repute that they were even the object of a speech by Cicero during a debate in the Senate. In the 13th century, the wines were exported to France, and in the 16th century, Sante Lancerio, cellar master to Pope Paul III (of the House of Farnese), in his manuscript on the quality of wines, was lavish in his praise of those from Piacenza.
The Castelli del Duca vineyards are located on the hillsides at a maximum altitude of 400 metres, below the chestnut and oak woods and pasturelands.
Winters here are cold and often snowy, while summers are sunny and warm. Both the microclimate and the soil are ideal for growing excellent quality typical grapes. The stringent controls start right from the vineyard, and the organoleptic properties of the grapes are maintained intact throughout the process with the aid of cutting-edge technologies.
Texts by Natascha Lusenti ( journalist )