Tenuta Biodinamica Mara is a Demeter-certified biodynamic estate above San Clemente in the Valconca, twelve kilometres inland from the Adriatic coast in Emilia-Romagna's Rimini hills. Founded by entrepreneur Giordano Emendatori at the start of the 2000s and named for his wife Mara, the estate planted its first vines on calcareous-clay marine soils and bottled its debut vintage in 2011. The winery focuses on indigenous Sangiovese di Romagna, fermented spontaneously without chemical aids and aged in three architecturally distinct cellars: a tinaia of six artist-decorated cement vats, a bottaia centred on a French concrete egg, and a Byzantine-themed barricaia of barriques and tonneaux.
Emilia Romagna
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Bookable experiences, curated by our editors. External booking where marked.
Guided cellar tour through the Tinaia, Bottaia and Barricaia followed by a glass of Tenuta Mara Sangiovese di Romagna served with breadsticks. Available Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday/Sunday at 11:00 by appointment.
Book this experienceCellar tour and a glass of Sangiovese paired with a selection of Romagnolo cured meats and local cheeses. Available Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday/Sunday at 11:00 by appointment.
Book this experienceCellar tour and a glass of Sangiovese with breadsticks, plus a complimentary 0.75 litre bottle of MaraMia to take home. By appointment Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday/Sunday at 11:00.
Book this experienceTasting menu prepared by resident chef Antonio Palmisani with seasonal local ingredients, served alongside Tenuta Mara wines in the on-site restaurant.
Book this experienceGuided cellar tour through the Tinaia, Bottaia and Barricaia followed by a glass of Tenuta Mara Sangiovese di Romagna served with breadsticks. Available Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday/Sunday at 11:00 by appointment.
Book this experienceThe estate sits on the dorsal hills that link Rimini's hinterland to the sea, a transverse ridge of the Valle del Conca where alkaline, calcareous-clay soils trace their origin to ancient marine sediments. Vineyards are planted between 160 and 180 metres above sea level on north-east and south-west exposures, twelve kilometres from the Adriatic, with the warmth of the coast and the shelter of the Apennines meeting in equal measure. Giordano Emendatori conceived the project at the start of the 2000s, dedicated it to his wife Mara, and entrusted the first plantings to a careful, plot-by-plot reading of the terroir. Tenuta Mara is one of Italy's reference points for high-quality biodynamic viticulture. The estate is certified by Demeter, the international biodynamic body founded on Rudolf Steiner's preparations and refined by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer. In practice this means spontaneous fermentations, no chemical fertilisers, no synthetic adjuvants, and a refusal of the industrial cellar additives common in mass-market Sangiovese. The estate also invests heavily in the wider biodiversity that biodynamics depends on, integrating field margins, dedicated insect habitats, nesting structures and grazing animals into a closed nutrient cycle. The cellar is built around three named rooms, each with its own architectural identity. The Tinaia houses six large cement vats, each painted by a different contemporary artist, lit through a glass wall that turns the fermentation hall into a gallery. The Bottaia is the heart of MaraMia ageing, where oak botti rest under the watch of two antique Chinese guardian figures around a French concrete egg, with Gregorian chants playing day and night during elevage. From there the wines move into the Barricaia, a Byzantine-decorated barrel room of barriques and tonneaux where the flagship MaraMia continues its ageing before bottling. Wine, music and art are deliberately interwoven. Classical music plays in the vineyards through the growing season, a practice the estate links to the Pythagorean idea that harmony in nature has a musical structure. The grounds hold sculptures by Mauro Staccioli, Gio Pomodoro and Pietro Sbarluzzi alongside an indoor collection that runs from Arnaldo Pomodoro and Bonalumi to commissioned contemporary frescoes. The Sala della Musica, built around a Fazioli grand piano, hosts concerts, weddings and corporate events, while resident chef Antonio Palmisani, trained under Gino Angelini and Heinz Winkler, runs the on-site restaurant and the chef-led tasting menus. Day-to-day, Tenuta Mara is a family-run operation. Mara Emendatori is the proprietor, her daughter Elena Emendatori is the director, and vigneron Leonardo Pironi has shaped the wines from the project's earliest vintages. The estate also runs Casa Mara, four themed guest suites named for Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence, so a winery visit can extend into an overnight stay in the heart of biodynamic Romagna.
Editorially verified by ItalianWines.co.uk.
Plate I · EMILIA ROMAGNA
Tastings
Tours
Accommodation
Walk-ins welcome 
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