Azienda Agricola Le Rose

Nestled  in the countryside between Genzano di Roma and Velletri, this family run winery of 10 hectares (25 acres) turns out award winning organic wines and puts sustainability and quality at its core mission.

Founded in 2003 by the Piccarreta Family, Azienda Agricola Le Rose produces 9 distinctive wines, a total of 70,000 bottles a year, along with organic olive oil and honey.

I’ve enjoyed their wines for quite a few years, but  always wanted to visit the winery: Their farm is located in the same town I live in and they recently opened a restaurant. To my great delight, Regina Grassi, member of the Piccareta family and Event Manager, recently took me on a tour of the grounds and winery.

In July 2021, they launched their latest initiative, a restaurant and outdoor event space. During the first year of lockdowns and restrictions due to Covid, the Family Piccareta went against the trend; rather than closing its doors, it renovated and expanded. Their doors are now open not only for dining, but for events, wine tours and group visits.

A charming pergola sits beside an idyllic pond overlooking vineyards and cypress trees. Fire pits with lawn space are adjacent to a vegetable garden: An ideal play space for kids or inviting hang out spot to sip wine in both warmer and cooler weather.

The land cultivates a mix of native and international grape varieties; white grapes include verdicchio, fiano, grechetto, malvasia, petit manseng, bombino, and the red grapes of cesanese, cabernet sauvignon and montepulciano.

As I visited during the harvest, the productions facilities were in full production mode; grapes were undergoing a soft press and fermentation was underway in both steel and cement vats.

Proceeding into their cellar, red wines along with their award winning Colli Dei Marmi white wine undergo further aging in wooden casks.

Colorful, artistic labels are replicas of paintings by the family’s matriarch, Signora Piccarreta, and their images, along with the original paintings, continue to accent the restaurant, creating a warm, lively atmosphere.

Grassi explained sustainability is a principle factor at Le Rose. This is evident from their lightweight glass wine bottles, solar power system to their KM 0 (local, farm to table) agricultural practices. Most vegetables and herbs used in their restaurant come directly from their land, and those products that don’t are either organic or regional. Fish is sourced from the one and only authorized fisherman of the nearby Lake Albano, while organic olive oil and honey, duck and hen eggs all come from the property.

The restaurant sits above the cellar, providing a stunning view of the vineyards below and beyond.  The menu is innovative, seasonal and therefore changes regularly, but if it is available, I recommend the fried persico (perch) as a starter. The restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday and has both indoor and outdoor seating. 

And the wines? Not to miss is the Colle dei Marmi, winner of the coveted Bibenda “5 Grappoli” Award for 6 years running.

Colle dei Marmi
IGT bianco Lazio
Fiano 100%

Lazio, in particular the Castelli Romani continues to improve its reputation for turning out quality wines. Many know the area Frascati, but it is well worth discovering quality wines and wineries found  further south  in the areas of Genzano, Lanuvio, Ariccia and Velletri,such as the Azienda Azienda Le Rose. It is one winery that not only contributes, but  is ahead in this quality movement.

Azienda Agricola Le Rose
via Ponte Tre Armi, 25 – 00045 Genzano di Roma (RM) 
Restaurant: +39 378 302 4290.  For visits and tastings, Tel. +39 06 93709671