Born in 1911, the only son in a family of seven siblings, Gualtier Luigi Moris inherited his beloved Poggetti Estate in the Tuscan Maremma just before the start of the Second World War. A visionary and eternal optimist, he left an indelible mark on the estate, which can still be seen today. After planting more than 3,600 cypress trees along the roads of the estate from the seeds of a "mother cypress", he gifted his children and grandchildren the iconic cross that adorns the landscape as seen from the grand terrace above.
His creative vision also led him to plant a peculiar cluster of trees at the top of the estate’s highest hill, Poggio dell’Avvoltore, following careful calculations and geometric designs. Today, this hill is the most recognizable in the area, and serves as a natural landmark for all who pass by. It’s silhouette has even become Morisfarms' secondary logo, a tribute to his forward-thinking vision.
Gualtier's wish for his children and grandchildren was to maintain the Poggetti Estate as if it were a garden. Today, the enormous task of preserving these 420 hectares lies with his grandsons Giulio Parentini and Ranieri Moris, who continue to honor their grandfather’s deep love for the land.
When Gualtier passed away in 2001, a large stone, discovered while preparing the soil for a new vineyard, was raised in his memory, bearing a plaque engraved with one of his most cherished sayings: "Chi nella vita ha piantato almeno un albero non è vissuto invano". This translates to: He who has planted but one tree has not lived in vain. Next to the stone, his children planted a single cypress tree in memory of their beloved father, choosing a scenic spot on the Poggio dell’Avvoltore, overlooking the Gulf of Follonica, a place where they had spent many Sundays of their childhood enjoying family picnics.
The stone and plaque are open to visitors who wish to walk along the private roads of the Tenuta Poggetti, in the shade of the cypress trees planted in 1937 by Gualtiero.
His legacy continues to inspire his grandchildren as they lead the family winery, and with the 2021 vintage, they decided to dedicate to him the most representative wine from the Poggio La Mozza Estate. From now on, Morellino di Scansano Riserva will bear the name GUALTIERO on every bottle, an enduring tribute to his legacy and vision.
Restoration and Hospitality
FRANCESCO AND GLORIA MORIS
At a time when the Maremma was still the unknown outback on Tuscany’s coast, Francesco Moris was the first in the Moris family to understand the importance of creating a market and the opportunity for growth by conducting direct sales to the final customer. His intuition and determination drove him to open the first point of sales in the family's private cantina in the historic center of Massa Marittima. In 1976, Francesco completed the restoration of the Vecchia Cantina Moris, offering the townspeople of Massa Marittima a place to fill up their jugs full of wine, in the middle of town. Providing such a service alongside a quality product garnered pride and loyalty among the local market and laid the foundations for the growth of the family business to come. To this day, the Vecchia Cantina Moris remains the family's flagship wine shop where bottles and bulk wine sustain the local market and where tourists are enchanted by its medieval arches and suggestive grottos.
Together with wife, Gloria Pisaneschi, Francesco went on to develop the hospitality branch of the family business. Starting with two modest farmhouses on the Poggetti Estate, the husband and wife duo renovated these typical Maremman structures to comfortably host visitors looking to escape to Tuscany's wild coast. Utilizing their shared passion for the arts and architecture, and Gloria's proclivity for interior design, they undertook a massive restoration of the large Santa Laura complex completed in 2007. Today, Santa Laura is an elegant and discreet converted farmhouse with 10 fully furnished apartments overlooking olive tree orchards and vineyards below.
When Adolfo Parentini married into the Moris family in 1977, he saw in his new family's land idyllic growing conditions, sun exposure and microclimate, and the potential to create high quality wines. But investing in new vineyards, embracing unfamiliar techniques and shifting the family's focus from general agriculture to viticulture required a major shift in mentality for both the family and their employees. A letter penned by Gualtier Luigi Moris lamented how many grapes they would throw away due to his son-in-law's insistence on "green pruning".
At the time, an abundant harvest was seen as a blessing from God, and wasting a part of the crop blasphemous. Adolfo now beams with pride when he recounts that within 4 or 5 years, the mentality of his workers had evolved when they would remark to him that the vines had produced too many grapes and required a second round of green harvesting.
Adolfo Parentini's confidence and determination, together with that of few other producers, to create wines of excellence in the Maremma helped to generate a movement among other producers in the area to focus on quality winemaking, bolstered by their unique terroir. The continuous growth of quality pushed numerous producers from other wine-growing areas to invest in the Maremma area, contributing even more to promoting and enhancing the wines of this area. Adolfo's investment in and promotion of the Morellino di Scansano appellation, born in 1978, drove the D.O.C.G. into international acclaim, and since Morisfarms' first bottle of Morellino di Scansano in 1981, it has been widely regarded as the standard bearer of the appellation.
Adolfo went on to create the family's flagship wine, an IGT by the name of Avvoltore (taken from the local dialect word for the hawk of Maremma), which is now celebrated as a top Super Tuscan across the globe. With Avvoltore's second vintage in 1990, the signature of Gualtier Luigi Moris, Adolfo Parentini's father-in-law, was added to the label to publicly display his seal of approval for all of the efforts Parentini made on behalf of the Moris family. The wines of Morisfarms have been lauded as having the same character as their maker; Parentini's frankness and sincerity are enshrined in every bottle.
Today, More Than Ever
RANIERI MORIS AND GIULIO PARENTINI
Today, Morisfarms is managed by two of the Moris cousins: Giulio Parentini and Ranieri Moris. Together, they passionately uphold Adolfo Parentini's proud legacy of producing high quality wines that authentically reflect the terroir in which they are grown and the traditions in which they are produced.
Since he was just a child, Giulio Parentini could be seen presenting his family's wines to customers and helping shop assistants fill jugs of wine in the Vecchia Cantina Moris. His gregarious character and comprehensive tech skills prove invaluable since he joined Morisfarms in an official capacity in 2001. Working closely alongside his father, Adolfo Parentini, Giulio learned all aspects of the business, from responsible land management to wine production and promotion. Like his grandfather Gualtiero, Giulio continues to reinvigorate the family estates with long-term projects that invite visitors to discover the Moris family’s portfolio of products.
His extensive international marketing trips have endeared him to customers around the globe as he passionately recounts his family's winemaking legacy in the Tuscan Maremma, the dedication and care behind every bottle of Morisfarms' wine, and the authenticity of a family-run winery committed to maintaining high-quality standards both in the local market and around the world.
Ranieri Moris began shadowing his Uncle Adolfo in the family winery in 2008, bringing with him a passion for the Maremman countryside and traditional farming techniques, and a keen eye for innovation. Ranieri has dedicated his time to supporting the company's agents all over Italy and has contributed to the development of the industry by serving as President of the Viticulture Section of the Agricultural Confederation of the Province of Grosseto and on the board of directors for the Consortium of Morellino di Scansano.
Together, the cousins have made their mark, strengthening the Morisfarms wine portfolio while staying true to tradition. They have expanded the company’s offering to include whites, rosé and reds, focusing on indigenous grape varietals from the Tuscan coast. Gualtiero, Rosamundi and AMOR are just a few of Giulio and Ranieri's tributes to their grandfather's love of his Poggetti Estate.
Since July of 2021, the estate’s farm shop has evolved into the Terrazza Moris, a wine bar and tasting venue where guests can enjoy Morisfarms wines right where they are produced, while taking in the breathtaking view of the Gulf of Follonica.
In more recent years, Giulio and Ranieri have embarked on new projects to enhance the estate’s resources. They have partnered with a local mill to transform the durum wheat grown at the Poggetti Estate into pasta, creating a line of artisanal, bronze die pasta that underscores the richness of the land and the flavors of the estate. In 2024, they introduced an artisanal Tuscan London Dry Gin, inspired by the scents and flavors of the Terrazza Moris. Gin Moris is the spirit of our Terrazza!