history of marzalla

History of "Azienda Agricola Marzalla"

The farm has been run by the Cecchi family since 1600 and mainly produces olive oil, wine, Vin santo and honey. The excellent quality of this produce is the fruit of the physical characteristics of the soil, together with the dedicated professionalism and experience developed over the years by the Cecchi family.

The guiding philosophy is first and foremost based on the quality of the land, a goal which is achieved while paying close attention to the surrounding environment. Since 1998, as part of this philosophy, the Marzalla Farm Complex has adopted a programme of integrated pest management for its herbaceous crops, which minimises the use of chemical fertilizers and recycles vegetable waste, therefore using only a minimum amount of pesticides – exclusively copper-sulphate based – and only natural fertilizers. Crop rotation and leaving certain areas of the farm uncultivated encourage the repopulation of species of birds, useful insects and natural predators.

We will be more than happy to accompany you on a guided visit to our cantina (wine-cellar) where you can taste a good glass of red or white wine and observe the process of vinification (converting the grapes to wine) from the moment the grapes arrive at the cellar up to the process of slowly aging the wine inside oak barrels. You can also visit the coppaia, a cellar where the olive oil is stored in traditional, antique earthenware jars called "coppi". If you visit us during the months from September to February, we’ll be more than glad to show you our vinsantaia, a room purposely dedicated to the natural process of using air to dry the bunches of the white grapes used to produce the delicately flavoured “Vin Santo”. Should you arrive during the olive harvest, from November to mid-December, we recommend a visit to a nearby olive-mill (“frantoio”) where you can get a close-up view of the process involved in producing olive oil. All products produced by the Azienda Agricola Marzalla are available for purchase directly from the farm. We also offer a service of preparing delicious gift-boxes for presents or special occasions, which can be sent anywhere in the world via Express Mail delivery service. If you are interested, please contact us and we’ll be pleased to give you more details, also as regarding the delivery charges.
You’ll find public tennis-courts (300 metres away) and a riding-school (5 kilometres away).