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Vintners

Macarico, Barile

The lava flows that spread like starfish arms from the hulking Mount Vulture in Basilicata are some of the most treasured terroir in the south of Italy. Macarico is both the name of one of the region’s most prized lava flows and Barile’s most promising new winery.

Rino Botte and his wife, Lucia—both Barile natives—returned home to this beautiful, yet remote region of southern Italy after great success in the restaurant business in the north. Both knew, somehow, that even though they left Barile with wanderlust in their hearts, there was something magical about the region that would someday draw them back.

Botte returned in 1998 to purchase an abandoned winery in the heart of Barile to found both his winery, Macarico, and the Locanda del Palazzo, a hotel and restaurant that showcases the best wines and food of Basilicata and all of southern Italy.

What makes Macarico unique is its forward-looking approach to winemaking in a region that has known vines and wine for more than 2,000 years. High-altitude vineyards (more than 1,300 feet) enjoy an ideal southeastern exposure, and grow straight from the Macarico lava flow, from which the wine draws its name. The estate cellar was carved into the volcanic hillside, following local tradition—today families still keep this tradition, and such petite wine caves dot the hilly landscape of Barile. Macarico vineyards too are the densest in the region, with 10,000 plants per hectare.

Food, wine and culture should be the same word in Italian—so inseparable are local dishes with local wine and the spirit of the Italian family table. Few places we’ve discovered in our travels in Italy combine such a spirit so effortlessly, and with such high class.

QUICK FACTS:

  • Macarico is a winery in Basilicata, southern Italy, run by Rino and Lucia Botte, and advised by enologist Giampaolo Chiettini. The name of the winery comes from the name of a Mount Vulture lava flow where the estate Aglianico vines are grown.

  • The estate’s Macarico is aged for 14 months in a blend of new and used barrel; the estate’s “second” label, “Macari,” is aged for 10 months in older barrels.

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