Ômina Romana Winery
“2,500 years of winemaking history. Reimagined since 2007.”
The Börner Family
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Lazio is one of Italy’s oldest wine-growing regions, yet hardly any other winery has re-evaluated its terroir as thoroughly as Ômina Romana. In 2007, the German-Italian Börner family founded the estate near Velletri, some 40 kilometres south-east of Rome, in the heart of the volcanic hills of the Castelli Romani. The idea behind it was as simple as it was ambitious: to discover the true potential of this landscape, which has been shaped by viticulture for more than 2,500 years.
To this end, they did not simply plant what was traditional in the region. Together with scientists from Geisenheim and Florence, the family commissioned detailed studies of the soils, water availability and climatic conditions. The vineyards, which now cover around 70 hectares, were divided into 60 plots, on which 24 different soil profiles were identified. It was only on this basis that the decision was made as to which grape variety and which clone should be grown at each specific site. Volcanic deposits of lava, tuff, ash and pumice ensure a soil structure that is as complex as it is rich in minerals.
‘Mens et manus’ – mind and hand – is one of the estate’s guiding principles. It describes an approach in which scientific precision and craftsmanship are inextricably linked. The vines are closely monitored, yields are deliberately limited and the grapes are rigorously selected. For the top wines in the Ars Magna range, selection can take place up to five times whilst the grapes are still on the vine. In the cellar, chief oenologist Claudio Gori favours long ageing periods and a vinification process that allows the different grape varieties as much individual character as possible.
What is unusual – indeed, unique – is the openness of the range. Alongside regional varieties such as Cesanese and Bellone, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay and Viognier play a central role. At Ômina Romana, they do not come across as imported stylistic devices, but rather as precise responses to specific plots and soil types. The great red wines and the white wines of the Ars Magna series in particular demonstrate just how naturally international grape varieties can develop their own distinctive character on the volcanic terroir of Lazio.
At the pinnacle of the portfolio are the Ars Magna wines and Ceres Anesidora I, which the estate confidently describes as a ‘Super Roman’. Behind this lies the same philosophy that has shaped Ômina Romana since its foundation: not to define Lazio by its past, but to rethink it from the perspective of its terroir – much as Incisa della Rochetta, Antinori and Tachis once did for Sassicaia and Solaia.
The name Ômina is derived from the Latin ‘omen’ and, in the plural, means ‘good omens’. For the Etruscans, this referred to signs from which future events, the weather or harvests could be interpreted. At Ômina Romana today, they rely less on the gods – and all the more on terroir, precision and a great deal of manual labour.
© Photos: Omina Romana Winery