La Tana dell'Istrice Civitella D'Agliano  

La Tana dell'Istrice (The porcuspine's lair) originated in wine producer Sergio Mottura's decision to transform the original family home into a small and welcoming hotel, where you may enjoy the quit of a village surrounded by verdant fields and vineyards, as well as take advantage of many an opportunity to explore the neighbouring area. Guests may witness the production cycle of Mr. Mottura's firm and, above all, sample its products, particularly a wide selection of wines. The Mottura estate, consisting of some 130 hectares nestled on the border of Northern Lazio and Umbria between the hills and the clay canyons of Civitella d'Agliano to the west and the fertile plain of the Tiber Valley to the East The natural beauty of the area has remained untouched by urbanisation and industrial development and still offers breath-taking landscapes, dotted with woods, lakes and numerous torrents, although it is only 100 km. from Rome and 160 km. from Florence. The estate has been in the Mottura family since 1933 and they have been actively involved in the conservation of the area. In the 1960's the Mottura's began modernising their farming methods on the estate: they switched over from share-cropping to direct cultivation and began research into the best use to be made of the soil. On the gentle slopes of the hillsides vines have found their natural habitat and prosper in the volcanic soil.Records in the archives of Orvieto prove that these hills were particularly suited to the cultivation of vines as far back as in 1929 in so much as some of the best Orvieto wine was even then produced here. As in many other areas the old vineyards, planted generation ago, "married" the vines to trees that would support them, according to the method massed down from the Etruscans.These have gradually been replaced by specialised vineyards, which now extend to 60 hectares and every year new ones are planted to ensure that the quality of the wines will remain as high in the future. In chosing the varieties an important place has always been reserved for the local indigenous vines and clones have been selected on the basis of bearing fruits with all the best qualities essential to wine making; extensive cultivation in the same area over many years has brought about a natural selection of those more resistant to disease.