Macarico is what they have been; what they have loved, what they have smelled and perceived, what they have eaten and drunk. And Rino Botte, in his case, has loved, smelled, perceived, eaten and-above all in his case–drank in Mount Vulture of the beautiful region of Basilicata. The region where Rino was born, the territory of his family and friends, the territory of the fragrance and tastes from which he knows, his first loves and affections, his first fears and anxieties is the famed region in Southern Italy.

Home is where, sooner or later, one will return. According to Rino all one needs is that the ties remain strong, unable to sever: for Rino the ties are the Aglianico del Vulture. After 30 years of running his own restaurant in Brescia in northern Italy, Rino Botte returned home to Basilicata. He planted vineyards in Macarico by grafting shoots of some of the oldest and best vineyards of the area. The vineyards are on the lava-rich slopes of the volcano in the township of Barile. The name of the zone, Macarico, derives from the Greek word macar, which means "he who is blessed".

The cellars of Macarico are at the gates of the village, two ample spaces carved into the volcanic rock, which date from the 16th century. The winemaking techniques are very simple; though Macarico uses up-to-date technology and control the fermentation temperatures, the transformation of the grapes into wine is carried out with maximum respect for the fruit. The major part of the success of the wines comes from the ripeness and healthiness of the grapes which is brought to the cellar from such perfect vineyards. Macarico does not use selected yeasts or other chemical products, the fermentation begins spontaneously, and the wines are completely un-filtered.

The estate consists of about 5 hectares planted at about 10000 vines per hectare in one of the best place of the whole Vulture appellation. The name of this place is Macarico. Vulture is probably one of the 4-5 grand crus of Italy. Aglianico here express its maximum in terms of complexity, balance and longevity.

Macarico's wines are here to prove-if anybody still doubts-that Aglianico is one of the greatest Italian red grape varietals.