About Ranchelle
Ranchelle is a small natural winery in the Tuscan Maremma, dedicated to preserving the region’s historic grape varieties and traditional ways of making wine.
Our work is guided by a simple belief: great wine begins in living soils, old vines, and respect for nature.
Our Story
Ranchelle was founded in 2014 with the goal of protecting the Maremma’s disappearing viticultural heritage.
Many of the ancient vineyards that once surrounded Poggio Murella had been uprooted or replaced by international grape varieties. What remained were only fragments of a rich, centuries-old landscape.
From the beginning, Ranchelle committed to working with native Maremman and Mediterranean grape varieties — some still growing in a 60-year-old field blend, others replanted through careful massal selection to preserve their genetic diversity.
Today, we cultivate 4 hectares of vineyards following organic and biodynamic principles, producing small quantities of natural wine that reflect the hills where they were born.
Our Philosophy
- Organic & biodynamic farming with annual green manures and no synthetic treatments
- Native grape varieties, many nearly forgotten
- Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts
- No additives, no filtration, and minimal intervention
- Ageing in used oak, steel, or fiberglass, depending on the wine’s needs
- Hand harvesting and gentle cellar work guided by gravity
Every wine is an expression of its vineyard, the vintage, and the character of Poggio Murella’s hills.
The People Behind Ranchelle
Ranchelle’s work is led by a small team of growers, harvesters, and friends of the winery who share a passion for native vines and natural winemaking.
Christoph Fischer –
Founder & Winemaker
Christoph Fischer founded Ranchelle in 2014 with a clear mission: to protect and revive the ancient viticultural heritage of the Maremma by producing native-grape, natural wines true to terroir.
A German expatriate who had spent many years living in Italy, Christoph turned his attention to the hills of Poggio Murella-Maremma, recognising the value of old vineyards and native grape varieties that were being abandoned.
Today, he leads a small estate of 4 hectares, including a 60-year-old vineyard, planted and managed with organic and biodynamic principles. In the cellar at Ranchelle, his philosophy is simple: minimal intervention, spontaneous ferments, no additives, and wines that speak of place.
Marco Giordano –
Oenological Consultant
Marco holds a graduate degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of Florence and completed specialised training in biodynamic viticulture through APAB Florence (Demeter collaborator) and additional modern biodynamic courses.
He gained hands-on experience through apprenticeships in several Tuscan wineries during and after his studies.
Since joining Ranchelle in 2016, Marco has guided the winemaking with a focus on native yeasts, minimal intervention, and the authentic expression of Maremma’s native grape varieties.
Enrico Bachechi – Ampelographer & Partner-Producer
Enrico Bachechi is an Italian ampelographer and natural-wine advocate who has dedicated his career to exploring, identifying and revitalising rare grape varieties. Originally from Livorno, Tuscany, he studied forestry and later switched to viticulture, drawn by a love of farming and biodiversity.
He has collaborated with historic vine collections in Montpellier and worked as a consultant for wineries throughout Italy. At Ranchelle, Enrico’s vision and expertise shape our commitment to native vines, massal selection and the preservation of the Maremma’s viticultural heritage.
Marco Giordano –
Oenological Consultant
Marco holds a graduate degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of Florence and completed specialised training in biodynamic viticulture through APAB Florence (Demeter collaborator) and additional modern biodynamic courses.
He gained hands-on experience through apprenticeships in several Tuscan wineries during and after his studies.
Since joining Ranchelle in 2016, Marco has guided the winemaking with a focus on native yeasts, minimal intervention, and the authentic expression of Maremma’s native grape varieties.
Poggio Murella & the Maremma
The winery sits just above the Terme di Saturnia, in a landscape shaped by volcanic soils, sea breezes, and centuries of farming traditions.
This area has produced wine since Etruscan times. Its climate — warm days, cool nights, and mineral-rich soils of schist, silt, and clay — is particularly well suited to Maremma’s native grapes such as Ansonica, Ciliegiolo, Procanico, and Alicante.
he combination of altitude, biodiversity, and old vines creates wines that are naturally vibrant, structured, and deeply connected to their place of origin.
The Cellar
Ranchelle’s cellar occupies a former village grocery shop in Poggio Murella, now transformed into a simple, functional space designed for natural winemaking.
Grapes are destemmed directly above the fermentation tanks so that must and skins fall by gravity, avoiding pumps.
Fermentation takes place with native yeasts, often with skin contact depending on the grape and style.
Transfers are done by gravity or by a gentle diaphragm pump.
Aging happens in used oak tonneaux, stainless steel, or fiberglass vats, and the wines are bottled without filtration.
Sulfur is not added; instead, wines are protected with nitrogen — an inert gas — during racking and bottling.
Discover Our Wines
Ranchelle produces six natural wines — each one reflecting a vineyard, a grape variety, and a piece of the Maremma’s history.