At AQUILAIA, our philosophy is inspired by Etruscan winemaking traditions
Making wine in Maremma and inheriting the eagle symbol requires a total immersion in history, drawing strength from thousands of years of experience.
By both respecting sustainability and using ancient agronomic practices in a modern way, the Aquilaia Estate creates wines with the aim of discovering the most authentic origins of tradition.
MAREMMA TERROIRs AND HISTORY
ALBEGNA:
where water and energy merge
There is nowhere better than the roof terrace of our cellar to gaze over the Albegna valley. Your eyes are filled with a thousand years of history: this valley has always been the heart of the Etruscan wine culture.
The Fosso Sanguinaio stream flows along our estate before meeting the river Albegna: a favorite place of the Etruscans, as were all confluences between two rivers. You can feel the proximity of the Etruscan ‘Ghiaccio Forte’ site, a fortified settlement built to defend the wine valleys.
Ancient vineyards and maritime soil
Gazing out at the vines, discovering that though the origins of Ciliegiolo and Sangiovese are lost in Etruscan history, these varieties are still used today by Tenuta Aquilaia. Walking on the earth knowing that the soil was once the bottom of an ancient, forgotten sea. Imagining the sea breeze caressing the rows of Vermentino, giving the grapes that unmistakable maritime character.
History is everywhere.
WINES AND ETRUSCAN CULTURE
Seeds found in tombs in Chianti and on Maremma’s archeological sites prove that the Etruscan people brought grapevines here from the east. As the first winegrowers in Italy, they gifted both fundamental skills and innovative cultivation knowledge to the ancient region of Tuscia.
The Etruscan people were always interested in oenology and produced large quantities of wine. Wine was a key part of their culture, both in ritual sacrifices to honour the gods and for banquets hosted by nobles where the wines were enriched with honey and spices.
AUGURES AND OBSERVATIONs OF THE SKY
A powerful and ancient rite was performed by the “Augures”, the priests entitled to interpret signs of gods from birds’ flight.
They were very important figures in ancient Etruria. The fate of the people depended on the priests for observing the behavior of the birds, from the construction of a new building to a good harvest. Seeing an eagle (“aquila”) was considered the luckiest sign of all.
We hope that the symbolic nature of our name bestows a very lucky life upon our wines!
