In a country renowned for hospitality, Le Cerque takes the best of the traditional Italian agriturismo —a place combining tourism and agriculture— and future-proofs it, to meet tomorrow’s climate challenges.
Deep in the quiet of Umbria’s countryside, Le Cerque is an oasis of peace surrounded by 22 hectares of nature, producing organic olive oil and wine. Driven by a desire to share their love of Umbria’s environment with people from across the world, Le Cerque wants to play its part in preserving the local climate and culture as well.
They believe hospitality is a form of social sustainability: it keeps us grounded to our surroundings and connected to each other. The agriturismo aims to be entirely sustainable by 2030, through renewable energy, water efficiency, and sustainable agricultural practices, in line with Italy’s pastoral traditions. On the roof of the wine cellar are the property’s solar panels, and along with their existing natural water wells, soon Le Cerque will be able to use its pond to irrigate the land.
Olive tree groves and vineyards are part of Italy’s environmental heritage, and Le Cerque is intent on preserving it through green agriculture; when harvesting olives, they are picked by hand with the help of mechanical arms, protecting the plant and the fruit. Within 24 to 48 hours after the picking, the olives are defoliated, washed and crushed, in order to preserve all their organoleptic properties. This gives the olive oil a smooth and balanced flavor, and an aroma containing hints of field grass and green tomato.
The vineyard yields 5 different types of wine, ranging from Sangiovese, Grechetto di Todi and even a Passito. Manù is Le Cerque’s Bordeaux blend, aged in oak barrels for 12 months, giving it a strong structure, ruby red color, and notes of chocolate and spice. Maude, the Grechetto di Todi, is a fresh white wine with a strong personality, notes of apple, pear, and almond.
Today, people often feel disconnected from the foods they consume. Through its products, Le Cerque wants whoever is tasting them to feel the vineyards and olive groves that produced them. For guests staying at the B&B, wine and olive oil tastings are a powerful tool to reconnect people with food grown a stone’s throw away: they interpret the aromas imbued by the surrounding hills, trees, and lands.
This is the future of hospitality —human-scale places embracing tradition and quality, while adopting innovative, sustainable models.
