Agricole Vallone

Since its inception in 1934, ‘Agricole Vallone’ has become a veritable ambassador of Salento’s agriculture and oenology. Agricole Vallone owns two vinification and ageing facilities with state of the art machinery and technology: the vinification facility is in Azienda Flaminio, while the bottling and ageing process takes place in Copertino (Lecce), in steel vats, large oak barrels and small French oak casks. The firm’s three estates are: Azienda Flaminio is located in Brindisi’s countryside; Azienda Iore is in San Pancrazio Salentino; and Azienda Castelserranova (312ha., 20 of which are in being is situated in Carovigno’s countryside. The firm’s philosophy is centred upon the production of fine, sun-kissed, territorial wines which are uncompromisingly true to the varieties used; wines whose qualitative and organoleptic profile may do justice to Salento’s personality and traditions, to its pedoclimatic conditions, and to the generous labour of the farmers who work its land.

Agricole Vallone
Via XXV Luglio, 5 – 73100 Lecce, Italia
tel. (+39) 0832 308.041
www.agricolevallone.it – info@agricolevallone.it

Candido

In 1929, at a very young age, Francesco Candido took his first steps as a winemaker by working with the grapes from his family’s vineyards. Today, Francesco’s small startup has been converted into a solid modern business with Alessandro and Giacomo Candido at its helm, 140 hectares of vineyards, and two wineries. The Guagnano winery is used to process grapes and stock wine, whilst the San Donaci facility is used for ageing (in large oak barrels and barriques), bottling and marketing. The equipment and technology used are cutting-edge, and all the production stages and processes, from grape growing to bottling, are carried out with extreme care, dedication, and constant quality assurance checks by the two in-house analytical laboratories. Candido’s winemaker, Prof. Donato Lanati, and his staff coordinate all production activities on the estate to ensure optimal wine quality and the highest respect for the environment. Current production is circa 2 million bottles with 66% of turnover generated by exports.

Azienda vitivinicola Francesco Candido Spa
Via A. Diaz, 46 – 72025 San Donaci (BR)
tel. (+39) 0831.635674
www.candidowines.it – candido@candidowines.it

Cantine Due Palme

Cantine Due Palme, a Cooperative established in 1989, is located in Cellino di San Marco (BR), straddling the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto; it sits at the very heart of Salento’s wine production area. Today it is has more than 1000 associates, who produce the indigenous Negroamaro, Primitivo, Susumaniello, Malvasia Nera, Aleatico and Fiano, as well as the non-native Falanghina, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon. Red grapes account for 90% of total production, and white grapes for the remaining 10%; an average of 250’000 quintals and 6 million bottles are produced annually. Cantine Due Palme’s strong identitary roots are complemented by sound management and by an export-oriented strategy, which has led to a constant expansion of the firm’s presence on international markets; indeed, foreign markets account for 85% of sales. The winery has acquired two new compounds; the first one, with an area of about 800 sq metres, hosts the commercial offices, a spacious tasting room, and a restaurant – derived from converted cisterns four meters below ground level – with a capacity for 80 guests. The second building, with an area of about 3’600 sq metres, has a 1’000 sq metres wine cellar and a 800 sq metres conference hall five metres below ground level; the bottling plant, the storage room, a state-of-the-art laboratory, the technical offices and a spacious reception room – with catering, coffee, brunch, lunch and finger food service – are all located on the 1’800 sq metres raised ground floor. The conference hall, fitted with 3 wide-screen TVs and with a capacity for 800 guests, is unique in its genre thanks to its scenic waterfall and the view on the wine cellar. Our firm has the following CERTIFICATIONS: ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 22000, BRC and IFS. Cantina Due Palme was awarded the Premio Speciale (Special Prize) at Vinitaly 2007 & 2009, and the Premio Speciale Vinitaly Regione 2010. Selvarossa Salice Salentino Riserva received the prestigious Tre Bicchieri (Three Glasses) from Gambero Rosso, in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Cantine Due Palme società cooperativa agricola arl
Via San Marco 130, 72020 Cellino San Marco (BR)
tel. (+39) 0831.617909 – (+39) 0831.617866
www.cantineduepalme.it – info@cantineduepalme.it

Castello Monaci

Not far from the town of Lecce and the sea, at the gates of Salice Salentino, surrounded by centuries-old vegetation, are located the vineyards of Castello Monaci. 200 hectares of land with a pedological profile characterised by two layers, one nearer the surface, finer and richer, which has a considerable influence on the roots and a rocky layer which ensures good drainage of excess water. Here work is carried out with innovative methods such as plant management ‘in parete’ (spurred cordon), a development of the typical alberello (bush) system which maximises the benefits of the special terroir and of the sun. The road which leads to the Castello and to the cellar, a straight line of a couple of kilometres which seems to have been drawn with a ruler, divides the vineyards into two parts. A long corridor which is a passage in time within a place where modernity and tradition meet. The estate: Here the work of the sun combines with the skills of man. The tufa, the rock of the terrain, is transformed, broken down and mixed well into the ground to contribute framework and to control the water. Its white colour, carried to the surface, reflects the light, thereby increasing the beneficial effects of the sun. The work in the vineyards is supervised personally by Vitantonio Seracca Guerrieri, president of the estate, who for years has experimented with selections to enhance the native vines of Salento. The cellar: Amongst the contours and patterns of the vineyards stands a geometric shape, with sharper lines: the cellar. A building constructed during the 60’s which guards a barrel store of more than 1000 barriques, dug out of the hard rock. The light shines on the futuristic shapes of the new apparatus of vinification, such as the refrigerated crushing system with small, temperature controlled steel tanks which enable limited quantities of grapes to be vinified separately and so emphasising the individuality of each.

Castello Monaci
Via Case Sparse, 73015 Salice Salentino (LE)
tel. (+39) 0831 665700
www.castellomonaci.it – castello.monaci@giv.it

Conte Spagnoletti Zeuli

Count Spagnoletti Zeuli’s firm has ancient roots, with evidence of its existence dating as far as 1600 AD. In the Castel del Monte’s countryside, the Count of Andria dedicated a veritable cult to olives and vines, with modern entrepreneurial élan and substantial investments in research and technology. Azienda Agricola Conte Spagnoletti Zeurili produces DOC Castel Del Monte (Nero di Troia, Montepulciano, Aglianico, Bombino, Pampanuto, etc.) and IGT Murgia wines (Fiano), as well DOP Terra di Bari – Castel del Monte subzone – extra virgin olive oil, and 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil. Count Spagnoletti Zeuli’s firm is a champion of corporate responsibility: it plays an active role in the development of its territory, Apulia; it valorises its products through a short distribution chain (production, transformation and commercialization); it upholds the highest quality, traceability, health and safety standards; it safeguards the environment through integrated agriculture and renewable energies (photovoltaic). Not only does the firm uphold mandatory laws (health and safety, HACCP): it also enacts a series of ‘voluntary control systems’, which are periodically inspected by authorized national and international certification bodies.

Azienda Agricola Conte Onofrio Spagnoletti Zeuli
C.da San Domenico S.P. 231 km. 60 – 70031 Montegrosso – Andria (BA)
tel. (+39) 0883 569511
www.contespagnolettizeuli.it – c.szo@contespagnolettizeuli.it

Conti Zecca

Conti Zecca’s five centuries-long history of passion, tradition and innovation has brought it to the forefront of Apulian viticulture. In 1500 ca. the Neapolitan Zecca family decided to move to the Apulian town of Leverano, in the heart of Salento. Here they began an intense agricultural activity on their own estates, focusing particularly on grape and olive growing, arts of a noble and ancient Apulian tradition. The family business evolved through the centuries, to the point where Pope Leone XIII bestowed the title of Counts on the Zeccas to recognize their masterful accomplishments. In 1935 Count Alcibiade Zecca decided to vinify his grapes on his own estates: the winery of Leverano was thus built, a modern and efficient facility which transformed this town into one of Apulia’s most important trading centres. World War II left complete destruction in its wake; the difficult task of rebuilding was possible thanks to the pride and entrepreneurial spirit with have always characterized the people of Salento. Alcibiade’s son, Count Giuseppe, introduced new cultivation techniques, replaced the old colony system, and extended the production line by establishing bottling facilities. The Donna Marzia label was thus born, bearing the name of Conti Zecca’s most renowned estate. The family’s devotion to viticulture has gone uninterrupted since 1500. Today the heirs – the Counts Alcibiade, Francesco, Luciano and Mario Zecca – lead the family firm with passion, dedicating meticulous care to the entire production process: from the selection of the ideal pedoclimatic conditions and clones to the planting stage; from the adoption of the best agronomic practices and harvest times to bottling and marketing.

Azienda Agricola Conti Zecca
Via Cesarea – 73045 Leverano (LE)
tel. (+39) 0832 925613
www.contizecca.it – info@contizecca.it

Consorzio Produttori Vini Manduria

Produttori Vini Manduria, a winery established in 1932 by enlightened winemakers, is the veritable historical memory of Apulian oenology. One thousand hectares of vineyards, managed with passion and skill by four hundred associates: herein lies the strength of the Cooperative. Since its inception, Produttori Vini Manduria has devoted its efforts to the enhancement of the unparalleled qualities of Apulia’s prince product: Primitivo, a variety whose history is lost in the mists of time and which has found its ideal habitat in our territory. Its grapes yield Primitivo di Manduria, a wine with a very unique personality: red, dry or sweet with a mild raisining on the vine; well structured, full-bodied, and with a distinctive fruity bouquet. The winery’s history, culture and tradition, as well as its authoritative research projects aimed at quality and authenticity enhancement, undertaken with universities, the CNR and other institutions, have given PVM the status of ‘MAESTROS OF PRIMITIVO’

Consorzio Produttori Vini di Manduria
Via Fabio Massimo 19, 74024 Manduria (TA)
tel. (+39) 099 9735332
www.cpvini.it – info@cpvini.com

Cupertinum, cantina sociale cooperativa di Copertino

In the sweet plains of Puglia, close to the center of the Salento peninsula and half-way between the Ionian and the Adriatic Seas, lies the territory of Copertino, also known as the fiefdom of Copertino in memory of a medieval court that had chosen the area as its seat. In this red soil olive groves and vineyards alternate harmoniously: centuries-old olive trees with big twisted trunks sit amid grapevines trained with the characteristic Apulian ‘Alberello’ (bush) technique, which produces strong and generous wine. The year 1935 represents a milestone in the history of Salento’s oenology: thirty-six wine-growers from the area formed the wine growers’ cooperative of Copertino. Their goal was and still is to deal directly with the vinification of their grapes and the marketing of their wines. Today there are about 350 tenants who annually supply their harvest to the cooperative; their vineyards extend for 400 hectares throughout the picturesque landscape around Copertino and the neighbouring municipalities. With the wisdom coming from tradition and innovation, the grapes from the best soils and vineyards are used to produce excellent wines, capable of exciting experts and enthusiasts alike. The associated winemakers entrust their harvest to the Cooperative, with the objective of producing high quality wines which will satisfy the most demanding consumers. Thanks to the experience it has accrued generation after generation, Cupertinum has reached the highest quality levels with local varieties, such as Negroamaro, Primitivo, Malvasia nera and Malvasia bianca leccese, as well as with national and international varieties (Merlot, Syrah, Montepulciano, Syrah) which have adapted wonderfully to these lands. In the cellar, during the vinification and refinement, the main objective is to bring out the character of wines while maintaining and building upon their specific subtleties. This is the secret that gives Cupertinum’s wines a personality characterized by attractive aromas, harmony, body and elegance.

Cupertinum, cantina sociale cooperativa di Copertino
via Martiri del Risorgimento 6, Copertino
tel. (+39) 0832 947031
www.cupertinum.it – cantinacopertino@libero.it

Feudi di San Marzano

Feudi di San Marzano, based in northern Salento, was established in 2003; it has since become a leader in Apulia’s viticultural scene, and has conquered a place for itself among Italy’s finest producers. Its wines are distributed in more than 60 nations. The firm’s philosophy is centred upon the production of rich, elegant wines, with truly territorial aromas and colours: Salento’s shallow red soils, clayey-chalky and resting upon tufaceus rock, its scarce availability of water, its mild weather and balmy maritime winds all contribute to creating the ideal environment for quality viticulture. Feudi’s primacy on national and international markets derives from its ability to seamlessly blend tradition with modernity: age-old agronomic practices are employed in the fields, while state of the art technology reigns in the cellar. The firm falls within the Primitivo di Manduria DOP area, and aims to express the full oenological potential of this land, of its local varieties and of its farmers, who are heirs to a millenary tradition.

Feudi di San Marzano Srl
via Regina Margherita 149 – San Marzano di San Giuseppe (TA)
tel. (+39) 099 9576100
www.feudisanmarzano.it – info@feudisanmarzano.it

Gianfranco Fino

Even President Obama tasted his Es 2007, during the last G8 meeting in L’Aquila. But how did Gianfranco Fino’s adventure start? In 2004 the Apulian entrepreneur acquired a very small fifty years old vineyard, with an area of about 1.20 hectares and exceptional traits: old age, exclusively alberello trained plants in red earth, good density, low vigour and straggly bunches. Today the firm owns 7.05 hectares of land, one of which is cultivated exclusively with Negroamaro: it is here, in Manduria’s countryside and just a few metres from the sea, that Jo originates. Its name is a tribute to the Ionic sea, but also to ‘Jonico’, Negroamaro’s ancient name. The firm is constantly challenging itself to improve its vineyards and its wines. It does this by emphasizing quality rather than quantity: a few bottles, but with great results. Gianfranco Fino was nominated Producer of the Year, and his Es 2007 was awarded Gambero Rosso’s ‘3 Bicchieri Plus’ – the only wine from Salento to rise to such honour. Fino’s philosophy begins with the utmost quality: no compromises – short pruning, intensive thinning of the bunches and maniacal attention to details in the vineyard. Gianfranco Fino, who shares this adventure with his life companion Simona, is known for his deep passion and obstinacy. Quality, effective customer retention strategies, a strong distribution network, and the utmost attention to hygiene; and then ‘Primitivo takes care of the rest, with its unique taste and quality’ says Fino. The results were positive right from the beginning. In 2005 Gigi Brozzoni selected Es for a high-profile tasting at ‘Critical Wine Milano’; this wine’s imposing structure garnered a lot of attention, and polarized critics between lovers and haters. Es has been true to its name: according to Freud it represents boundless passion, a passion which bends neither to rules nor to compromises. Es is the expression of the instinct of wine.

Gianfranco Fino Viticoltore
Via Fior di Salvia 8 – Taranto
tel. (+39) 320 7803978 – tel. (+39) 348 8838639
www.gianfrancofino.it – gianfrancofino@libero.it

Giuliani

Seventy years ago, in the heart of the Gioia del Colle DOC, Vito Donato Giuliani gave birth to an entrepreneurial venture which is led today by Raffaele Giuliani. The firm’s 25 hectares of land straddle the municipalities of Turi, Gioia del Colle and Putignano; the area’s ideal pedoclimatic conditions allow the grapes to reach a perfect level of ripening, and to convey to DOC Primitivo and Aleatico wines their typical intense, purple-red colour. The firm also produces a white and a red DOC Gioia del Colle, and an IGT Murgia Chardonnay. The entire production cycle is supervised by the oenologist Luca Petrelli and the agronomist Vito Donato Giuliani.

Azienda Agricola Giuliani Raffaele
Strada Gioia del Colle 18 – Turi (BA)
tel. (+39) 080 8915335
www.vitivinicolagiuliani.com – info@vitivinicolagiuliani.com

Mille Una

MILLE UNA, located at the very centre of the Primitivo triangle between Sava, Lizzano and Maruggio, was established in 2001. The firm’s founder, driving force and sales/marketing manager is Dario Cavallo; he is assisted by four renowned oenologists – Saverio Petrilli, Bruno De Conciliis, Michele Schifone and Marco Cavallo. Vineyards and Training: the vineyards sink their roots in the characteristic ‘red soil’, rich in minerals and iron sesquioxide, 10km from the sea; they are trained with the traditional, non-irrigated ‘alberello’ (bush) training. All plants are 50-70 years old, with low yields – up to 10-12 quintals per hectare – and high concentration.

Mille Una Srl
L.go Chiesa 11, 74020 Lizzano (TA)
tel. (+39) 099 6414541
www.milleuna.it – info@milleuna.it

Paolo Leo

Where tradition meets excellence: the story of ‘Paolo Leo’s’ iconic wines. In the town of San Donaci, five generations of wine growers pass on the ‘art of producing quality wine’. Nowadays the winery produces two million bottles, with opportunity for sustained growth. Cantine Paolo Leo is now well-known not only in Italy, but also around the world. If it is true that behind each bottle of wine there is a story to tell, the one of Paolo Leo is a beautiful and simple one. Five generations of wine growers, united by their passion for wine and for their native land, have built a piece of history at the winery. Cantine Paolo Leo is still located in the province of Brindisi, in the small town of San Donaci. Today Cantine Paolo Leo is a modern, contemporary winery, with a completely automatic bottling line, a capacity of 50.000 hectoliters and also holding 500 French and American barriques. The ‘heart’ of PAOLO LEO are the 25 Ha of vineyards. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Antonio Leo produced his first harvest in the nearby ‘Masseria Monticello’. In later years, his grandson Paolo Leo inherited the land and built the NEW winery. Today it is still the eponymous Paolo Leo, that leads the winery, together with his wife Roberta and his sons Nicola and Stefano. The aim of Paolo Leo has always been to remain loyal to tradition, animated by the same passion that has accompanied the Leo’s family for more than 100 years. Today Paolo Leo is not only a synonym for the connection of terroir and heritage, but also for the delivery of the highest possible quality wines. The most important grape varieties cultivated by the winery are: Primitivo, Negroamaro, Malvasia Bianca and Malvasia Nera. The annual production is around two million bottles, with significant increase over the last two years, both domestically and in export markets.

Cantine Paolo Leo Srl
Via Tuturano 21 – 72025 San Donaci (BR)
tel. (+39) 0831 635073
www.paololeo.it – info@paololeo.it

Polvanera

In 2003, in the wake of a long family tradition, Filippo Cassano embarked on an ambitious project for the enhancement of Primitivo and other varieties in the production of quality wines. He bought and restored an old farmhouse in ‘Marchesana’, an area in the municipality of Gioia del Colle, which was already rich in valuable goblet-trained Primitivo vineyards between 1860 and 1880. The name Polvanera derives from the typical dark brown colour of the estate’s soil. Polvanera currently owns 25 ha of vineyards, 15 of which are planted with Primitivo vines and the rest with Aglianico, Aleatico and Fiano. Most of the vineyards are young and spurred cordon trained; the firm also rents 4 further hectares of 60 years old goblet trained Primitivo. The grapes are harvested and transported by hand, crushed softly, and fermented in stainless steel vats. The firm’s blend of tradition and innovation yields very territorial wines, with notes of mature berries and Mediterranean maquis, extraordinarily elegant, fresh and mineral.

Società Agricola Polvanera di Cassano Filippo & C.
Str. Vicinale Lamie Marchesana, 601 – 70023 Gioia del Colle (BA)
tel. (+39) 080 758900
www.cantinepolvanera.it – info@cantinepolvanera.it

Rasciatano

Tenuta Rasciatano has been producing wine and olive oil for over four centuries. The climate of these scenic 300 hectares in the Murge plateau, half way between the mild weather of the coastlands and the warmer temperatures of the hills, translates into olive oil and wine of the highest quality. The ‘Coratina’ variety dominates the centenary olive groves; once the olives reach the correct maturation stage, they are harvested and milled on the same day. In 2005 Rasciatano’s historical cellar underwent a complete renovation, with the objective of vinifying only the best grapes harvested on the estate: grapes such as Nero di Troia, Montepulciano and Malvasia, which have found their natural home on Rasciatano’s soils. Viticulture is entrusted to Professor Luigi Moio, an oenologist of international fame who is very enthusiastic about the estate and its varieties. Rosé Rasciatano, Malvasia Bianca and Rasciatano Nero di Troia 2007 and 2008 where awarded the prestigious Tre Bicchieri (Three Glasses) by Gambero Rosso, ‘Gran Menzione’ at Vinitaly 2010 for Nero di Troia 2007. ‘Gran Menzione’ at Vinitaly 2011 for the new label, Rosso Rasciatano 2009.

Rasciatano
C.da Rasciatano – 76121 Barletta (BT)
tel. (+39) 0883 510999
www.rasciatano.com – info@rasciatano.com

Rivera

The de Corato family has deep roots in Apulian land, where the hills of Alta Murgia slope gently towards the sea. Here in Andria’s countryside, in the early 1950s, Sebastiano established Azienda Vinicola Rivera, inspired by a vision of fulfilling and bringing to the world’s attention the enormous viticultural potential of the Castel del Monte area. Widespread recognition quickly followed: Rivera became the benchmark of Apulian viticulture and the driving force behind its rebirth, thanks also to agronomic and winemaking innovations introduced by Sebastiano’s son Carlo. The third generation of Riveras, Carlo’s son Sebastiano, has brought about a renewed élan towards the valorisation of Northern Apulia’s local varieties, such as Nero di Troia, Bombino Nero, Bombino Bianco, Aglianico, through the production of elegant, territorial wines. Rivera’s drive for top quality begins with an uncompromising management programme for its 95 hectares of estate vineyards. Trained with the spurred cordon system at a density of about 4,800 vines per hectare to ensure low yields, the vineyards are divided into three main sections. The first two, Torre di Bocca and Coppa, are planted at elevations ranging from 200 to 220 metres on deep calcareous-tufaceous soils, with a predominance of red varieties. The third section, Lama di Corvo, is higher up, between 320 and 350 metres, in the rough, rocky hills of the Murgia; this altitude is perfect for ripening white varieties. A handful of trusted producers supply the remainder of the grapes. The original core of the cellar dates back to the early 1900s, but growth over the years has brought ever more modern equipment. A new wing was added to in the 1960s, provided with fibreglass-lined vats, and it is now entirely temperature-controlled. Today there is a new, thoroughly modern fermentation facility, with small-capacity stainless-steel tanks for fermenting white wines and macerating rosés and red wines on the skins. The maturation of the red wines takes place in two underground areas containing over 600 225- and 400-litre French oak barrels and large 5,500 and 3.000-litre Slavonian oak casks or botti.

Azienda Vinicola Rivera S.p.A.
S.P. 231 km 60,500 –  70031 Andria (Bt)
tel. (+39) 0883 569501 – (+39) 0883 569510
www.rivera.it – info@rivera.it

Schola Sarmenti

Every day ‘we cultivate the history of the Oenological Art for you’. Today more than ever, viticulture is an inexhaustible cultural heritage which deserves to be studied and valorized with endless thirst. A wine’s soul originates from the intimate relationship between the vine and its environment, between the vine and entire generations of farmers which love it with abandon. ScholaSarmenti’s mission is to keep alive the union between the past’s irreplaceable traditions and the tireless, constant exploration of the Oenological Art, which masterfully preserves the theorems of wine. ScholaSarmenti has embracedEruditio et Diciplina not as a mere fad, but as a way of life with ancient roots. ScholaSarmenti’s wines are produced in Nardò, whose territorial uniqueness has preserved the distinctive Alberello trellising system as a veritable emblem of the land. The history, flavours and fragrances of every one of ScholaSarmenti’s products are a reminder of the live nature of wine – a living product which gives itself up the passing of time, cradled by loving and competent hands.

Schola Sarmenti di Terrulenta Sac
Via Generale Cantore, 37 – 73048 Nardò (Le)
tel. (+39) 0833 567247
www.scholasarmenti.it – info@scholasarmenti.it

Tenute Girolamo

Immersed in the lush Itria Valley, Tenute Girolamo is a fine example of entrepreneurialism put to the service of a passion for wine: the utmost care is dedicated to every phase of production, from vineyard to bottle. The firm’s 50 hectares of vineyards are planted at a high density (12.300 plants per hectare), to produce lower yields and higher quality. The Mediterranean climate, the wide temperature range, the peculiar calcareous/red earth soils, and the care dedicated to every single plant guarantee the production of wines of the finest quality. Tenute Girolamo’s cellars, hewn in natural rock, have the charm of a timeless place; it is here that wine acquires an incredible variety of aromas and flavours. The facility is divided in three levels, two of are dedicated to vinification and ageing. The vinification cellar employs the latest technologies, such as computer-controlled oak and steel vinificators; the ageing cellar, on the other hand, relies on its depth (it is 14 metres below ground level) to ensure the absence of sound and vibrations and a constant temperature of 16-18 C. The facility’s top floor, above ground level, hosts the offices, a spacious tasting room and the bottling facility. Furthermore, the firm can count on its own laboratory to monitor the wines throughout the production phases, from harvesting to fermentation, ageing and bottling. Thanks to this combination of tradition and innovation, Tenute Girolamo is able to create wines of the highest quality.

Tenute Girolamo di Girolamo Piero
Via Noci, 314 – 74015 Martina Franca (TA)
tel. (+39) 080 4402088
www.tenutegirolamo.it – info@tenutegirolamo.it

Mater Domini

Azienda Agricola Tenute Mater Domini, established in 2003 in Salice Salentino’s countryside, is led by Pierandrea Semeraro, a young entrepreneur with a relentless passion for viticulture. The firm makes use of modern cultivation techniques, with a keen eye for agronomic innovation and a deep respect for Salento’s traditions; its production philosophy is to strive for perfection, to pay attention to the smallest details, and to comply with nature’s wishes in the creation of a unique product. The firm owns about 80 hectares of land, in Salice Salentino’s and Veglie’s countryside, well within the Salice Salentino DOC and Salento IGT. This land has been chosen with care, among the area’s best terroirs; the rocks embedded in the soil have been carefully fractured. These pebbly and permeable terroirs yield an ideal equilibrium between carbonate and clay components. The firm is divided in two land tenures: Masseria Fontanelle, with an area of about 25 hectares, is Mater Domini’s headquarters. Its clayey/silty soils can withstand the torrid Apulian summers, thanks to their excellent water retention. The new spurred cordon Cabernet Franc and Syrah vineyards share this tenure with the native bush-trained Negroamaro and Primitivo vineyards, some of which are more than 60 years old. Masseria Casili, about 40 hectares of land, is dominated by a stunning XVII century manor house. This tenure’s soil, marly and pebbly, hosts the vineyards planted in the last three years. Red varieties are trained with the spurred cordon method; the guyot system is employed for white varieties. Native varieties – such as Negroamaro and Malvasia nera di Lecce – are cultivated alongside international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. Five further hectares will soon be dedicated to the cultivation of bush-trained Susumaniello, Notardomenico and Nero di Troia, in an attempt to valorise these less known territorial varieties. The yields are low (Negroamaro and Primitivo: 70/80 quintals per hectare; all other varieties: 80 quintals per hectare); the grapes are hand-harvested in August and September for white and rosé wines, and in September for the reds. Tenute Mater Domini is developing its new cellars, which will be built on three levels in an old stone quarry. The vinification process currently takes place in a facility in Campi Salentina, with the same technology which will be utilized in the new cellars. The reds are vinified in thermo-conditioned stainless steel tanks with an automated fulling system; a soft press is employed for white and rosé wines. The vinification process continues in thermo-conditioned stainless steel tanks. The French Allier barriques, which have a capacity of 225 and 500 litres, are held in a thermo-conditioned cellar.

Tenute Mater Domini
via dei Martiri, 17/19 73012 Campi Salentina (Le)
tel. (+39) 0832 792442
www.tenutematerdomini.it – info@tenutematerdomini.it

Tenute Rubino

In the mid Eighties, the Rubino family began acquiring a number of estates in Brindisi’s countryside. Within a decade the family owned more than 500 hectares of land, 200 of which are devoted to high quality viticulture: thus was born Tenute Rubino, one of the brightest stars in Apulia’s oenological firmament. In the year 2000, with the young entrepreneur Luigi Rubino at its helm, the firm inaugurated a state of the art vinification and ageing cellar in Brindisi; Rubino’s entrepreneurial project, centred upon the production of high quality wines in northern Salento – an area which is particularly suitable for viticulture – had finally become a reality. Tenute Rubino’s four estates (Jaddico, Marmorelle, Uggìo and Punta Aquila) are a veritable miniature continent: the same varieties planted in different areas generate very different wines. Two of these estates are located just a few metres from the sea, in a natural scenery of rare beauty. The ampelographic wealth of Tenute Rubino’s estates is composed by indigenous and Italian varieties, such as Malvasia nera and bianca, Vermentino, Susumaniello, Montepulciano, Aleatico, Negroamaro and Primitivo, as well as by international varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Jaddico Estate in particular, thanks to its outstanding pedoclimatic conditions, is a terroir of exceptional quality: it is here that the ‘Susumaniello Project’ is taking place. Indeed, Susumaniello – which was almost extinct – is the variety on which the firm is investing the most, to valorise it natural richness and elegance. Tenute Rubino’s product range is composed by 13 wines, most of which are monovarietal. The pleasantness of the floral notes, the harmony of ripe red fruit and the aromatic potency of some indigenous varieties are the prevailing characters of a production which represents a true benchmark for Apulian fine wine.

Azienda Agricola Dott. Luigi Rubino
Via Enrico Fermi 50, 72100 Brindisi
tel: (+39) 0831 571955
www.tenuterubino.com – info@tenuterubino.it

Torrevento

A beautiful stone monastery was built in the seventeenth/seventh century in Torrevento, in the heart of north-western Murgia; with time, a cellar and 57 hectares of vineyards were established around it. In 1948, the Liantonio brothers transplanted the winery founded in 1920 by their father to this estate; in 1989 this family-led business became Azienda Vitivinicola Torrevento. Torrevento’s vineyards – about 200 hectares owned by the firm, and a further 200 rented in other areas of Apulia – are located on the hills of Castel del Monte, a renowned monument with a rare octagonal shape in the Alta Murgia Rural Park. The firm’s headquarters have been restructured, expanded and modernized without damaging the original structure: the result is seamless blend of antiquity and modernity, respectfully set within Castel del Monte’s panorama. The cellar is located amid imposing dry stone walls. The ancient vaults, 8 metres below ground level, are ideal for storing the wines. The ancient stables have been converted to a stonewalled reception room: the firm is also a hotel, a restaurant, an agriturismo and a riding stable. True to its philosophy, Torrevento endeavours to recover Apulia’s viticultural tradition and to interpret it with a modern perspective. The quality of indigenous varieties is further enhanced by an accurate varietal selection, by the favourable microclimate and by the modern technologies employed in the cellar. Vigna Pedale Castel del Monte D.O.C. Riserva, in particular, originates in the firm’s most expensive land: 50 hectares in Corato’s countryside, located in Contrada Pedale and devoted entirely to the cultivation of Nero di Troia.

Torrevento srl
s.p. 234 km 10,600 (ex s.s. 170) Corato
tel. 080 89800923 – 080 8980929
fax (+39) 080 8980944
www.torrevento.it – info@torrevento.it