LE ROCCHE MALATESTIANE Società Cooperativa a R.L.
Vine-growers and wine-producers of the Riminese and Valconca wineries

Based in: Via Emilia 104 - 47900 RIMINI
Phone 0541/743079 - 743080 - Fax 0541/742340
Fiscal Code and VAT number 02350340408

Number of vine-growing members: 990
Total surface of vineyards: 800 hectares
Number of operators: 22

Board of Directors - President: Guglielmini Lucio: Guglielmini Lucio,
vice president: Filippucci Natale.
Councillors: Amadio Fabio, Borroni Giancarlo, Carli Carlo, Gessaroli Terzo, Muscioni Roberto, Orsi Stefano, Rossi Paolo.
General Manager Valter Vannucci.

LE ROCCHE MALATESTIANE is a wine cooperative established in 1994 by the merging of the most ancient vine-growing and wine-producing structures of the Rimini province: i.e. the Cantina Riminese (the Riminese winery), established in 1956 and the Valconca di Morciano winery established in 1959.
The cooperative was named after the Rimini rule of Malatesti. This ancient lineage, already counted amongst the town notables in 1200, had from time to time immense properties in the Marches and in Romagna.


Piero della Francesca.
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesti - 1451.
Louvre Museum - Paris.

Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesti, the most famous figure of the family, was lordship of Rimini in 1400 and a brilliant commander of mercenary troops as well as a wise diplomat. The construction of the Tempio Malatestiano, Castel Sigismondo and numerous fortified fortresses, used to garrison various areas of his properties, are to be attributed to Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesti.


Rimini - Tempio Malatestiano XV Sec.


Rimini - Castel Sigismondo XV Sec.

The logo of the "Le Rocche Malatestiane" represents the stylised Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesti, one fortress and, at the opposite corners, the "Rosa Malatestiana" (the Malatesta Rose), one of the "exploits" or heraldic symbols most used by Sigismondo.


Rimini - Tempio Malatestiano:
La rosa malatestiana.

Today the cooperative can count on the experience of 1200 members with more than 1000 hectares of hilly vineyards distributed on the entire territory of the province.
The hill environment is characterised by a coastal temperate climate, scarcely rainy and windy, in the period of the vine vegetation, with a sea breeze and a southwest wind.
Soils, mainly clayey, have a low or medium fertility. During the vine vegetative period, the temperature range fluctuates around 1700-1800 degree/day. These characteristics make the territory around Rimini the ideal environment to produce wine grapes of high quality.


Premises in Rimini - Retail corner.

The vine-growing and wine-producing vocation of the province of Rimini is proven by the findings, in Valconca, of vine-shoots and grapes seeds dated back to the Palaeolithic age. The first reliable testimonials of vine-growing date back to the VII century BC with the findings of the Villanovian tombs in Verucchio. The DOC wines belonging to this territory are the DOC Romagna and the more recent DOC Colli di Rimini. The grapes produced by the cooperative members are red (70%) and white (30%). The most representative red vines are the Sangiovese ones which have always been the most grown vines in the area of Rimini and out of which the Sangiovese di Romagna is produced. It is also used to produce the Colli di Rimini Rosso DOC. The cooperative produces remarkable quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as a result of a careful planning of the vineyards. The Cabernet Sauvignon Colli di Rimini is successfully obtained out of the blending of Cabernet Sauvignon with a little quantity of Merlot. Amongst the white vines, Trebbiano and Biancame are the most representative ones; good DOC wines are produced out of them. Rebola is another noteworthy vine and is the result of the recovery of a variety that used to grow in the area of Rimini several years ago. This variety could produce excellent, fine DOC wines as well as a Colli di Rimini raisin wine, which is very pleasant. The cooperative members also produce a good quantity of the Chardonnay grapes out of which superior wines are obtained. The grapes, with a total annual production of 100-110 thousand quintals, are processed in the cooperatives based in Rimini and Morciano with the use of modern equipment allowing to respect the best wine-making technique. The wine in bottles is bottled with a bottling line owned by the cooperative in Rimini. Recently the cooperative members have also set up a barrique room for the refinement of the wines in oak barrique (French small oak barrel); the cooperative also owns a thermal conditioning equipment.


Barrique room at "Le Rocche Malatestiane".

Le Rocche Malatestiane cooperative has a technical staff of agronomists and oenologists who work to give support to the production of grapes and to manage the wine production and bottling. Great attention is paid to the implementation of the HACCP protocol for the safety of food products. The cooperative members are given support to face the agronomical and phytopathological problems during the vineyards growing, including the application of criteria for the pest control. The introduction of new vineyards is also planned taking into account the different varieties and the agronomical aspects. This organization allows the cooperative to cover the main market shares with bottled wines that have an excellent quality-price ratio. The substantial quantities of produced wines enable the cooperative to withstand the considerable requests for bottled wine.
 

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