Affile is the name of a village located in the Lazio region. This village is well-known for a wine with ancient origin: the Cesanese di Affile DOP. Its etymology is “Cesae”, the place of the felled trees, where the rich Roman farmers took care of the unique and splendid vineyards. 

In 2002, the Formiconi Brothers decided to start their own vineyard in Affile, called Formiconi Winery. The challenge was to continue what their father Nazzareno had been doing with passion and mastery for sixty years. In his small winery, Nazzareno produced a surprising red wine just for relatives and a few lucky friends.  The brilliant position of the vineyard, the exclusive growing of the native vine and the application of the most modern productive techniques of the land with the advice of wine experts and agronomists bring back to life the most awaited red wine of Lazio.

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The “Cesanese di Affile” derives from a native vine of this small mountainous area known since the Ancient Roman Times. It is the wine of Popes and Emperors, with recognized medical benefits and even supernatural qualities, a companion for the slow rhythm of the farm labourers and an inspiration for poets and writers. People from Affile established “severe sanctions to whoever had had the boldness to damage the vineyard” since they were extremely jealous of their product. They were right, because the cesanese di Affile is a wine whose notoriety has found echo along the centuries. In the 30s, it found its place in the wine culture receiving acknowledgement and medals in Paris, Brussels, Rome and Milan. The village coat of arms testifies tangible signs of an ancient, almost eternal bond: a vine with a black bunch of grapes and a viper winded around the trunk.