Before being a winery, Petra is a natural oasis that stretches for 350 hectares: a lush
amphitheater that grazes the Metalliferous Hills and the Park of Montioni, opening southwest towards the island of Elba and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Within this particular microcosm
characterized by a strong agricultural vocation and low rainfall, the culture of wine has
covered all the stages in the history of man, from the Etruscans and the Greeks, throughout
the French domination of the 19th century, up until the present day. In 1997, Francesca
Moretti’s dream materializes in Suvereto, a place suspended between the sea and the ferrous
hills, within the wild Val di Cornia, in the Tuscan Maremma. Memories of the past and
ancestral forces of nature intertwine in the wines of Petra, an agricultural winemaking
company.
Since the very beginning, the project aimed to bring out the beauty of the surrounding area
and the wide range of soils endowed with different characteristics, expressing the specific
agronomic identity of the winery’s micro-terroirs in every single wine. Work in the cellar is
enhanced by architect Mario Botta’s design, which became a key element that characterizes
the wine itself. The philosophy behind Petra’s production is founded on respect for
biodiversity and minimization of mechanical impact on the grapes and must thanks to
processing methods that ensure delicate handling of the fruit.
Listening to the voice of the earth by carrying out protocols that guarantee sustainable
cultivation and winemaking methods enables the wines to bring out their purest expression:
this is how flagship wine Petra, but also Hebo and the monovarietal wines Alto, Colle al Fico,
Potenti and Quercegobbe sing of ancient stories that are continuously revived, upholding an
outstanding style characterized by perfect balance between structure and elegance, and
gaining nourishment from the Mediterranean nature of the nearby Park of Montioni and the
blue Tyrrhenian Sea on the horizon.
Petra: the dream of Francesca Moretti
At the end of the nineties, the Maremma was not yet considered a winemaking territory
despite its enormous potential and impressive pedoclimatic variety. Francesca Moretti was
searching for a land, exploring Suvereto and identifying the area surrounded by the Montioni
natural reserve as the place that was destined to become Petra.
Together with her father Vittorio Moretti, in 1997, Francesca purchased 60 hectares of land
in San Lorenzo and 45 in Campiglia Marittima in the municipality of Suvereto, within the heart
of Val di Cornia, along the border between the provinces of Grosseto and Livorno.
“Petra is a wonderful dream that ignited like a spark during a trip with my father – says
Francesca Moretti – I was 14 when we went to Bordeaux together; that was when I fell in love
with the history and culture of the French châteaux. I put my ambition to become a
veterinarian aside and devoted myself to my dream, which became a reality in 1997 when I
acquired Petra”.
Thanks to Francesca’s insight and determination, as well as the team’s effort, Petra and its
Mediterranean wines, characterized by outstanding power and refined elegance, have
become a point of reference in the wine scene of this fertile and pristine corner of Tuscany.
