La Felce

La Felce is a family-run organic winery in Liguria, based in Ortonovo, in the province of La Spezia. Founded in the post-war era by Renato Marcesini, the estate passed into the hands of his grandson Andrea in 1998. Andrea, trained in agricultural sciences, has carried forward the family tradition of mixed farming — viticulture, fruit, vegetables, olives, saffron, and honey — while increasingly emphasizing wine in bottle as a central part of their identity.

Vineyard & Practices

  • The estate farms about 6.5 hectares of vines, spread over a number of parcels in the Colli di Luni area, alongside olive trees, vegetable gardens, and fields of saffron.

  • Vineyards are located at different elevations and exposures, with soil types ranging from sandy to sandy-clay with marine influence (sand, sandstone, some sedimentary rock).

  • Vines include both older plantings (some over 50 years) and more recent ones. Grape varieties are diverse: whites include Vermentino, Trebbiano, Malvasia, Albarola, and others; reds include Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Merlot, Barbera, Alicante, Massaretta, among others.

Winemaking & Style

  • Farming is organic; no synthetic chemical inputs are used in the vineyard, other than copper and sulfur in modest quantities. Ground cover is maintained, and intervention is kept minimal.

  • In the cellar, fermentations are spontaneous (native yeasts), and practices aim to preserve the natural expression of the vineyards. Temperature-controlled steel and concrete are used alongside more traditional tools and presses. Maceration on skins is used even for some whites. Sulfur dioxide is used only sparingly, mostly at bottling.

Wines & Signature Style

  • Their wines are meant to express place: freshness, saline notes, mineral tones, clarity, and a sense of terroir, with both white and red wines.

  • Some of the better-known labels include FelceBianco, Monte dei Frati, FelceRosso, Reconteso, In Origine 400, and Non Sempre. These often represent different vineyard parcels or unique seasonal selections.

Character & Values

  • Andrea and his family see themselves as custodians of the land: preserving tradition, farming in a mixed-agricultural way, respecting soil health, biodiversity, and generational continuity.

  • There is also a strong sense of humility and connection: wine is not elevated as artifice or fashion, but as food, heritage, something to be shared.

  • The younger generation (Andrea’s son Francesco) is already closely involved, underscoring the ongoing legacy and commitment to the land and vineyard practices.

 

Contact Details:

  • Owner: Andrea Marcesini

  • Phone: +39 331 313 8340

  • Email: lafelce.marcesini@libero.it

Address:

  • Azienda Agricola La Felce, Via Bozzi, 52, 19034 Ortonovo (SP), Italy.