Antonio Cosmi welcomes us at his wine-farm on a warm March afternoon. He’s wearing his working clothes and his slim and agile figure already tells us all the engagement and devotion of a life entirely dedicated to the land. Antonio works at the farm with his brother, Fausto, and they are the only ones here to take important decisions and run all the activities. The Cosmi brothers have been making wine for the past five years (before, the took grapes to the local cooperative), even if Casale Certosa had been existing as a farm for many years before. The present farm took its name from a nearby mansion built in 13^th century (originally, it was a convent, then it became an oil-mill which later on was abandoned), today under restoration works. “It’s a real pity,” Antonio says, “probably they’re going to trasform it into a hotel, and will ruin everything”. He’s right, it is a pity to intervene in this corner of land which has maintained its rural characteristics untouched.
The surrounding countryside is living its spring awakening, around us we see a glory of daisies and other wild flowers, but the vines seem still to be sleeping, awaiting for their moment. On the 14 hectares of land they grow Malvasia Puntinata, Malvasia di Candia, Bombino Bianco and Trebbiano Giallo for the whites, while for the reds they grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Montepulciano and Sangiovese.
A radical choice was that of passing from C.D.O. to I.G.T. wines (that is, “Indicazione Geografica Tipica”, or “Typical Geographic Indication”), a decision they made in order to have a wider opportunity of experimentation, and so being able to create “new” products. Also this year, Casale Certosa will be present at Vinitaly, the showcase of Italian and foreign wines which will take place -as any given year- in Verona, from 7 to 11 April.
The annual production counts around 30,000 bottles, a part of which is sold directly at the farm, while the rest enters the Latium restaurant and wine-shop circuit. But the Cosmi brothers are ready to make the big jump and enter foreign markets, “we only need to find the right person to rely upon”.
For the moment, they’re working on a new tasting hall and also on the project of launching themselves into oeno-turism. “We’ve already received some groups and would like to repeat this experience. We really liked it”. Antonio is a frank person, exactly as the wine he makes, and he himself doesn’t hesitate to let us know: “We make wine only the way we want to make it”. Then we start talking about their loose-wine shop and the fact that today many people prefer getting products directly at the farm, rather than turning to specialized shops and buying labelled bottles. Then Antonio says something worth quoting: “Wine is for everybody, and for everybody it exists a wine”. Could you say he’s wrong?
               

The wines

Convenio Merlot Rosso

Convenio Malvasia Puntinata Bianco

Convenio Grechetto Bianco

Luperco Rosso

Alborea Lazio Bianco

Contacts

Azienda Agricola Casale Certosa

Via Stazione di Pavona 93, 00040 Santa Palomba (Roma)

Tel/Fax 0039067197356

Web site: www.vinilacertosa.it

Email: antonio.cosmi@tin.it