Riccardo and his brother Renzo Cotarella are not unknown faces on the Italian wine scene. The two renowned oenologists have received significant recognition for their work at numerous successful wineries over the years. Meanwhile, at the Falesco family winery, the Cotarella family is undergoing an exciting generational change: Dominga, Marta and Enrica Cotarella – a new and third generation – officially took over the management of the family winery a few years ago with the same enthusiasm as their fathers.
"We have a great responsibility, it is difficult to succeed, especially when the parents have reached the highest level in their field," admits Marta, 39 and a graduate in economics, who is now responsible for planning and controlling the activities of the family business.
The Falesco company (now made up of the Falesco and Famiglia Cotarella brands) was once founded with the aim of restoring the ancient vineyards between Lake Bolsena (near Montefiascone in Lazio) and Umbria. The result in 1989 was the Poggio dei Gelsi Est! Est!!! Est!!!, which over the years has become a flagship of the region. Ten years later, the Ferentano, made from 100% Roscetto, was bottled and in 2001 the Aleatico Pomele brought great prestige to the company (which was taken over by the Marciliano Cabernet Sauvignon a few years earlier). The winery's most famous red, along with the inexpensive all-rounder Vitiano, is the single-varietal Merlot Montiano, which was given a completely new style with the 2016 vintage and now represents a modern, highly elegant small-batch Merlot type that has nothing whatsoever to do with the broad-shouldered and extremely concentrated vintages of the previous year.
Falesco is a legacy built with passion, which is now in the hands of the Cotarella cousins. "We feel like sisters, I'm the 'old lady of the group' and I give advice and suggestions at the age of 49," jokes Dominga, known as Minnie, who has a degree in agriculture and is responsible for the sales and marketing side of the business, which employs a total of sixty people.
"We are an incredibly close-knit family, sharing everything from breakfast in the morning to summer holidays. We are complementary, united by a single passion: our company. Each of us expresses our own attitude every day," explains Enrica Cotarella, 35, who is in charge of the company's social communication department. Work and family, a combination that seems to be the secret of Falesco's success. "Of course there are some discussions, that's normal. But they are very calm, we never argue. And every argument is always aimed at guaranteeing the best for our wines and customers," Dominga guarantees.
In the meantime, the company continues to collect awards and successes, also thanks to the production of numerous internationally acclaimed flagships. "But that's not all, we never tire of experimenting," Dominga warns. The highly decorated Syrah Ogrà is certainly not the last highlight to emerge from the three cousins' stirring hands and traditional visionary approach. We are very excited! SUPERIORE.DE
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