The History: a brief account

The origins of the Garofoli Wine House go back to the end of the 19th century, to 1871, when Antonio Garofoli had already began the production and sale of local wines.
His son Gioacchino continued and expanded the paternal business. In 1901, he founded the Gioacchino Garofoli Wine House.
His two sons Franco and Dante, succeeded him in the management of the estate after World War II. Gioacchino Garofoli became a company in 1950 and embarked on a process of strong development.
Following tradition, Franco's sons, Carlo and Gianfranco, joined the family company's staff in the early seventies. They worked together with the preceding generation for more than 20 years and they energetically promoted further development of the wine house whether from the production or the commercial standpoint.

The Gioacchino Garofoli Wine House is now a joint-stock company. Brothers Gianfranco and Carlo currently head the wine house as chairman and vice chairman, respectively.
The history of the Garofolis is a story of men and of a family that has been identified for four generations now with the sector of wine production. The same philosophy has always guided the house: constant updating of production techniques but with respect for traditional and historic systems of winemaking; attention to the evolution of the market and its requirements but loyalty to the values of the special characteristics that the traditions of the territory have transmitted.

The present

The Gioacchino Garofoli Wine House is organized as a joint-stock company and it is wholly owned by members of the Garofoli family.
Brothers Gianfranco and Carlo Garofoli are currently in charge of the company as chairman and vice chairman, respectively.
The legal headquarters is located at Via Arno 9 in Loreto, while administrative offices are installed in the principal winery at Via Marx 123 in Castelfidardo. A secondary office is active in the winery where Verdicchio grapes are vinified at Via Colle Ravara 21 in Serra de' Conti.
Annual production amounts to about two million bottles, of which 35-40% are distributed on the domestic market and the remainder on markets throughout the world with the greatest concentration in those of northern Europe. More than 60% of production is accounted for by the DOC wines Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (about 900,000 bottles), Rosso Cònero (approximately 200,000 bottles) and Rosso Piceno (about 220,000 bottles). The remaining output consists of IGT Marche wines (about 150,000 bottles), sparkling wines made with both the Charmat and Classic methods (about 90,000 bottles), two semi-sparkling wines (a white and a rosé with 150,000 bottles), table wines (approximately 400,000 bottles) and a small production of raisin (passiti) and other special wines.



The Cellars

Garofoli's wine production is carried out in two wineries.
The winery at Serra de' Conti, located in the classic production zone of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi wine, tends to the vinification of the Verdicchio grapes, which is carried out with the use of the most modern techniques.
The grapes used in the production of Rosso Cònero are vinified in the winery at Castelfidardo, situated in the production zone. In addition, the winery also vinifies the grapes for the production of Rosso Piceno as well as other non-D.O.C. white and red grapes
The Castelfidardo winery also carries out operations involved in the maturing of the wines, as well as aging, the preparation of sparkling wines and bottling. The company's administrative and sales offices are installed in the Castelfidardo winery.

The Men

The grapes processed come in part from the four vineyards owned by the house and they are acquired in part from growers who have conferred their entire production on Garofoli for years. That enables us to have close contact with the vineyards and to oversee directly the various operations during the growing season.
Great attention is lavished on the phases of harvesting and vinification, since the moment of its "birth" is regarded as crucial in the life of a wine. The house selects the most suitable positions in the vineyards and the best moment for harvesting to ensure that it will obtain the best base, depending upon the type of wine desired.
As with the harvest, vinification carried out in the wineries at Serra de' Conti and Castelfidardo is performed in a differentiated way.
In the Garofoli wineries, tradition coexists with modern techniques.
While more traditional methods are used for the production of red wines, with the exception of carbonic maceration, which has been adopted for Vino Novello, the whites have been made for many years now with the use of soft pressing, decanting of musts at low temperatures and fermentation at controlled temperatures with injection of selected yeasts.

All operations following vinification are carried out in the winery at Castelfidardo. In preserving white wines, vats installed underground or refrigerated stainless steel tanks are used so that aromas developed in vinification are maintained and improved over an extended span.
Maturation of the red wines occurs in Slavonian oak casks of 30-40 hectoliters (789-1,053 gallons) or in French oak barrels of 225 liters (59 gallons). The house is now equipped with more than 700 of these containers.
The production of sparkling wines with the Italian method or semi-sparkling wines involves use of temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks where refermentation can be prolonged in order to obtain products of a high level of finesse.
All the white and rosé wines are sterile-bottled at a low temperature in order to guarantee at a low temperature in order to guarantee their quality and keeping capacity.
Part of our production is subjected to further fining in the bottle, which occurs in underground cellars at low and constant temperatures and assures bouquets and flavors that are more elegant. Fermentation in the bottle and maturation of the sparkling wines made with the classic method are carried out in the same rooms.

The wines ready for shipment are stocked in a spacious and rationally designed area on an upper floor, which facilitates loading operations.


The Viticolture

Hills are the predominant feature of the Marches countryside. They slope down from the Apennines in the west toward the Adriatic in the east in parallel with 13 valleys that cross the breadth of the region. With soils of medium or loose consistency, the hills are particularly adapted to the cultivation of vines since they are sheltered from the winds blowing from the sea and favored by outstanding luminosity and direct exposure to the heat of the sun's rays. Because of those conditions, the varieties cultivated have assured the reputation of the region's production since ancient times.
The exact origins of viticulture in this region are not historically certain but fossils of Vitis vinifera found in the area, known as Picenum, have been dated to the Iron Age. And the wines of Picenum were praised by the Romans in many documents.

In recent decades, the appearance of the vineyards of the Marches has changed profoundly. Vines attached to trees or pergolas around the house or in the garden have disappeared from the landscape, making way for more rational training systems that are always entirely vertical in form and with a double arch.
The Marches now produces annually an average of two million to three million hectoliters (54.6 million-78.95 million gallons) of wine, with whites accounting for 60-70% of the output. The production covered by the D.O.C. system is substantial with averages that surpass the national rankings. The steady evolution of the quality of the wines of the Marches that has been under way for years is clearly perceptible. And it has been accompanied, in most cases, by a wise and honest policy on pricing.
Il livello dThe level of wines now available is an index of the maturity reached in recent years by the sector in the region and it constitutes a message of a wine-producing area that has moved on from adolescence and now, aware of the good results obtained, is confronting prospects that are even more far-reaching. The primacy secured in recent years by the Marches in terms of longevity is an obvious sign of the region's livability. That primacy, in combination with the fact that the region is the leader nationwide in the consumption of wine per capita, constitutes a sensible response to those who are waging an irresponsible and indiscriminate campaign against wine drinking.


The Marches


The Marches is located at the center and on the eastern side of the Italian peninsula.
It covers an area of 9,694 km2 (3,741 mi2) between the Apennines, which form the region's border to the west, and the Adriatic to the east. The region is divided into four provinces: Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Macerata and Pesaro-Urbino.
The physical characteristics of the provinces are generally similar. All extend from the shores of the sea to the mountain chain of the Apennines and the configuration of their interiors is relatively uniform with valleys carved out by numerous streams flowing in parallel toward the coast. Despite its uniformity, the territory of the Marches displays special atypical elements characterized by microenvironments that change suddenly.
In general, the region is divided into three distinct longitudinal strips: the mountainous zone, the hilly area and the coast. The first two occupy almost 90 per cent of the total area, while the coastal strip accounts for 10 per cent. There are practically no plains and those that do exist are limited to the seacoast. In some extensive stretches of the 160-km. (100-mi.) shoreline, the hills come down almost to the water's edge.
The hinterland - The strip of mountains consists of two virtually parallel bands situated in the north and south of the region. The first group is located in the far hinterland of the Pesaro zone and it is dominated by the mountains Catria (1,702 m. or 5,584 ft.) and Nerone (1,526 m.). The second sector displays typical alpine features and it is situated on the border between the provinces of Ascoli Piceno and Macerata. The cluster includes the region's highest peaks: Monte Vettore (2,478 m.), Monte Porche, Cima del Redentore, Pizzo del Diavolo, Monte Sibilla, Pizzo Berro and Monte Priora, all of which exceed 2,000 m..
The sea is separated from the Apennines by a wide expanse of hilly zones with relatively uniform characteristics.
The coast - The 160 km. of shoreline, dotted by numerous beach resorts that draw large numbers of tourists, are highly varied with stony stretches alternating with areas of fine sand. Immediately to the south of Ancona, the promontory of the Cònero interrupts the straight line of the coast. The landscape in this zone is radically different, harsh and highly fragmented by inlets and small bays extending for a distance of 20 kilometers.
Rivers and lakes - Torrents and rivers of varying lengths have carved out the valleys of the Marches. They run, virtually parallel to one another from their sources in the Apennines in the west to the Adriatic in the east.
The valleys created by the erosive action of the streams have always been extremely important for the inhabitants of the Marches. The major settlements and production activities have always been concentrated in them. Two rivers form the natural and administrative boundaries of the Marches, the Foglia (135 km. long) and the Tronto (115 km.). The Metauro, Cesano, Misa, Esino, Musone, Potenza, Chienti, Tenna and Aso are among the other, lesser streams.
Rivers have played a vital role in shaping the region but lakes have had little impact. Lago di Pilato is the largest. Of glacial origin, it is perched at an altitude of 1,954 meters. The other lakes in the region are relatively small and man-made.

The Winery Shop Opening hours are as follows:from Monday to Friday:
morning: 8:15 - 12:15
afternoon: 14:30 - 19:00
Saturday:
morning: 9:00 - 13:00
afternoon: 16:00 - 20:00*
* Christmas holidays
The complete range of wines, grappa and olive-oil is available.
Accepted Credit Cards and POS