The degli Azzoni estate is situated in the Marche region of Central Italy, facing the Adriatic Sea, a few kilometres from Macerata and Recanati, in the hilly country made famous by the poet Giacomo Leopardi.

The estate (around 850 hectares) is farmed directly by the owners with the aid of more than 50 farm workers. In parallel with traditional produce like wheat, maize, barley and sugar beet, vegetables such as peas, French beans, spinach, pumpkins, peppers, radicchio and aromatics plants like basil, parsley, nettles and rocket are also grown. With twenty years of experience to date, the firm is one of the most important producers of parsley and fresh basil (GLOBALGAP certificate) , the basis ingredient of Italian pesto.

All the degli Azzoni wine is produced and bottled on the estate (130 hectares of vineyards). The principal varieties of vine are Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Maceratino and Grechetto, along with international classics like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Another 25 hectares are given over to the cultivation of American vines.

A few years ago, the degli Azzoni family converted a country house into a restaurant, now called the Locanda Cantalupo. Today, their wines can be presented to a wider public and traditional recipes are on offer at the restaurant. Accommodation is also available.

One brother of degli Azzoni family cultivates organic basil, wheat, maize and barley.

The estate has belonged to the degli Azzoni family since the beginning of the 14th century. At that time the family constructed and repaired coaches and agriculture stages . This is the reason why the complete family name is degli Azzoni Avogadro Carradori, with Carradori coming from Carratore or "builder of carts". Indeed the coat of arms represent a stylized cart with four wheels.

Other the centuries the importance of the family increased and also their economic influence: small country estates around Montefano and Recanati were bought up. In the 18th century the property extended to 2000 hectares and barns and storehouses to stock grain and other produce were built. This out-buildings are still standing in Montefano, near the Carradori family seat.

The most important moment for the family was at the time of Filippo, son of Telesforo in the middle of the 18th century. Filippo left the property to be divided up equally between his three children Carlo, Telesforo and Edvige. The three siblings signed a paper on which it was written that when one of them died , his part of the estate would pass to the survivors.

Telesforo died at the age of twenty from pneumonia. Carlo died without getting married and so all the estate went to the their sister Edvige.

Edvige married the Marquis Lotario Rangoni Machiavelli who lived in Modena. They had three children: Giuseppe, Isabella and Filippo. All the real estate went to the males; Isabella, as a female, was excluded from the inheritance.

Filippo died without living any heirs and he left all his property to Isabella to compensate the injustice done by their father.

In 1906 Isabella married the Count Aldobrandino degli Azzoni Avogadro and in 1956 their son Roberto at the behest of his mother added Carradori at the family name.

The Count Roberto's period of administration started in the early 1950s and witnessed great changes. The end of the sharecropper era meant that he had to reorganize the farming; he invested in tractors and other equipment and begin to farm the estate personally.

Direct control of the administration, with the help of experts general manager like Giuseppe Storani, has enabled the company to make the right investments at the right time, e.g. the construction of cowsheds, irrigation systems, purchase of adjoining pieces of land to create more extensive enclosures.

Since the year 2000, with the death of Count Roberto, his three sons Aldobrando, Filippo and Valperto have carried on the work of their father, anticipating the change, continuing to invest. However the three brothers have not aimed at being in the vanguard at all cost, merely at keeping abreast of the times.

The wine cellars on the degli Azzoni estate are in the village of Montefano (Macerata) where the head-office is also located. Built in the 1950s, the premises have been fully renovated the past few years.

Today, with all due respect to the past, the up to date machinery works more than 1,700,000 kilos of grapes. The tanks are in stainless steel or cement, and fitted with thermal control system.

The original cellar still forms part of the family house where today are placed the barriques used for the ageing and the improvement of reserve wines. Part of the wine is sold directly from the cellar in 5 litre glass jars or in "bag in boxes" , the rest by bottle.

The bottled white wines are: COLLI MACERATESI DOC, GRECHETTO and BIANCO DI CANTALUPO; the reds are: ROSSO PICENO DOC, GALEOTTO, ROSSO CANTALUPO and PASSATEMPO.