The presence of viticulture in the Matelica territory is extremely extensive, dating back more than 2000 years, as evidenced by the discovery of fossil seeds in tombs from the Picentes era.

From the first historical citation of the term “Verdichio” in 1579 through to 1967, the year in which the Verdicchio di Matelica DOC appellation was recognised, the perfect marriage between the vines and the Matelica area has been increasingly consolidated, characterised by its unique terroir.

The PRO.VI.MA cellar was founded in 1932, at the behest of the fascist regime, in order to fulfil the so-called obligations of the forced amassing of grapes by the Matelica farmers. The position of the cellar itself, close to the train station, was chosen to facilitate the transport of grape quantities via rail.

In the past, it was known as the “Enopolio” or “Centrale del Vino di Matelica” (Matelica Wine Centre). It reached its peak in the 1950s and ‘60s when around 40,000 hectolitres of wine were confiscated. From the company archive, we discover that in 1950 a special committee of wine producers was created for the organisation of production and sales, called the “Commissione per la gestione dell’Enopolio” (Commission for Wine Cellar Management).

In the meantime, the original structure had become inadequate to manage the considerable quantities of wine. It was demolished to make way for the current winery, characterised by the presence of numerous vitrified cement tanks, stainless steel vats and some wooden barrels, used for refining the best selections.

The current co-operative was formed in 1978 when a group of Matelica wine producers elected Ms. Giovanna Censi Mancia as the first President, a leading exponent of the local agricultural sector.

 

The last few years have been characterised by a remarkable increase in the membership base, with the conferment of new and young vineyards. This is the fruit of the passion born so long ago and carried forth to today with its authenticity still intact.

The current cooperative boasts 80 winemakers who represent a total surface area of around 120 hectares, with an average production of 10,000 hectolitres of wine.

Over the years, the company’s operations have changed significantly. In fact, for a large wine cellar, the structure has remained as medium-sized winery, where nowadays quality is increasingly sought after over quantity, in contrast with that done in the past.

The production of a range of bottles commenced around ten years ago, resulting from a selection of the best harvests. Today, around 100,000 bottles of wine are produced, including Verdicchio di Matelica DOC and Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva DOCG, Marche IGT Rosso and Colli Maceratesi DOC.