The soil of the Castelli Romani territory is particularly suitable for viticulture and the production of quality wine, where the vine finds its natural habitat. Vines were skilfully cultivated here even before Roman times, in 753 B.C., amid olive, elm and cherry trees.
The territory of the Castelli Romani originates from the collapse of the Laziale Volcano hundreds of thousands of years ago. The entire area of the inner belt of the Castelli was the main vent of the volcano. When it collapsed, it gave origin to several secondary vents, the most important of which was today’s Monte Cavo (the hollow mountain).
Volcanic soil, like the one of the Castelli Romani area, is vigorous and fertile. It is young, virgin and little-exploited, rich in minerals, above all potassium, and poor in calcium and active limestone. Its fertility is complemented by an additional element of vigour, namely the presence of water in the subsoil. The good availability of water prevents the soil of the vineyards from suffering from water stress and it is indeed in the hottest years that production is of higher quality.
Hilly grounds have always been considered ideal for viticulture and 55% of Lazio is covered with hills of volcanic origin, while 20% of the land is plain concentrated along the coast, in the provinces of Latina and Rome. Further inland, the remaining 25% of the regional territory is mountainous.
