Journey into beauty the stones tell: Carlo's vineyard - Organic winery Giving value to history and modernity through a place: this you will find in this property. Ancient and modern coexist together between passion for wine and protection of historical memory. I propose a journey to a wonderful land, I invite you to breathe in centuries of wine culture and trace the history of a family in its wine. Wine and architecture therefore: two art forms that meet in an experience that involves all the senses. This company produces high quality wines, PGI and organic certified. Furthermore, it is proud to have saved two native vines from oblivion: Marchione and Susumaniello, allowing the Locorotondo Agricultural Institute to reinsert them into the list of Apulian vines. What is available on the market today is not just made up of hectares of vineyards and volumes built in stone, but is the tradition of a family that believed in a project that was born in the mid-nineteenth century and which maintained it for 5 generations. He has produced a genuine wine, the result of an authentic territory and a passion for the land, the expression of a love story that endures. And this is how this farm was created, in the heart of the Itria Valley, between the municipalities of Ostuni, Martina Franca and Cisternino and has an interesting story to tell. A story made of silence and work, fundamental requirements for creating an excellent product. The position of the estate is strategic: midway between the two Apulian coasts and the major centers of tourist interest. The estate is made up of 4 buildings. The owner's home, a large complex of trulli of approximately 260 m2 covered, equipped with a swimming pool, paved terraces and a style. The liberty house used for tourist hospitality, composed of a large living area, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a covered veranda overlooking the vineyards. The brand new showroom with bathroom. And in the building dedicated to wine, there is a large wine bar, the tasting area, in addition to the area used for events, the administrative offices, the work and storage areas, those intended for the transformation, storage and bottling of the wine, the cellar and the bottling line. Garden parking and equipped areas surround this building. The jewel in the crown of this portion of the property is the cellar of approximately 400 m2, completed in the early 2000s. It is very important to take into account that it is very difficult today in this area to be able to build or dig such large environments suitable for storing wine . This is due to regional laws and regulations issued for the protection of the territory. The property is sold furnished and equipped, complete with every element necessary for the production and conservation of wine. The farm consists of approximately 10 hectares of surface area, where a small part is cultivated with orchards and olive groves, as well as arable land and woods. The area dedicated to viticulture has a diverse variety of grapes: Malvasia nera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Susumaniello, Bianco D'Alessano, Verdeca, Merlot and Marchione with a system that allows mechanized harvesting. Production takes place on site from harvesting to vinification and can reach 140,000 bottles. Today production is concentrated on 3 different wines: red, rosé and white. An area is being created for the production of classic method prosecco/sparkling wine. The company is certified PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) “Valle d'itria” and produces white, red and rosé wines, and since 2008 it has also obtained the Organic Certification, because the grapes produced from native vines are cultivated following the principles of 'biological agriculture. This means that no synthetic chemicals and GMOs are used. Natural fertilizers are used and cultivation is carried out according to historical, well-tested criteria based on trust in natural processes. The objective was to create an interacting agro-ecosystem conducive to the integrated management of the entire company. Over the years, plots of different nature have been acquired: woods, tree pastures, olive groves and arable land. Typical of the area is the red earth, poor in nitrogen, partially endowed with clay, silt and sand, rich in potassium and boluses. The karst subsoil and the notable temperature variations in the area favor the production of quality wine. The property is completed by a 20kwh photovoltaic system installed in 2020, an artesian well connected to the water table at a depth of 400 metres, and a generator capable of powering all the systems in the absence of electricity. The property is sold "closed gate". According to the legislation in the agricultural sector, sale with the gate closed means the transfer of a property with everything that is on the land, i.e. including the buildings, the stocks present including the wine already produced, including machines and tools, hanging fruit. Technical insights The profession of the winemaker is lost in the mists of time, along the entire Peninsula, where the infinite biodiversity makes the production of a large number of native wine varieties possible. The best vineyards extend along the hills facing south-east, with good exposure to the sun, right ventilation and clayey soil. There is no pre-established recipe in artisanal production: the beauty and difficulty of this work lies precisely in understanding how the winemaking methods change every year. Each step of winemaking and aging must be done with extreme care and competence. This is the poetry that can be read among the rows of native plants that have been the pride and commitment of passionate winemakers. The Itria Valley is a karst depression characterized by a uniform profile between the provinces of Bari and Brindisi and coincides with the southern area of the Murge plateau. It extends between Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca. It is known not only for the characteristic trulli declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, but also for the best white wines of Puglia. The valley has a unique microclimate (rigid winters and long summers which are considerably windy and with significant night-time temperature variations) and a soil characterized by "red soils", of a calcareous and clay-limestone nature, which constitute the optimal substrate for vineyards, which thus develop aromas sophisticated and a good degree of acidity. The development of viticulture in Valle d'Itria dates back to the end of the 19th century, coinciding with a serious crisis that hit French viticulture caused by phylloxera. It was then that a cultivation system based on an American-type rootstock was used for the cultivation of vines. This practice was refined over time: the rocky soil was cleared of stones and dug, the roots of the vine were planted deep in contact with the coolness of the rock and precious mineral substances; the hole was then filled with fertile soil. Even today the same system of planting and growing the sapling vine follows this ancient ritual and allows protection from drought. The two vines that enhance the qualities of the karst soil and the cool climate of the Itria Valley are Verdesca and Bianco d'Alessano which adapts to the driest areas and hilly shoulders. These two vines allow the production of two splendid white wines, unique in the world, pleasant, rich in antioxidants and therefore healthy. A bit of history of the property Until the beginning of the 19th century, this area of Puglia was characterized by immense large estates administered both by the nobles and directly by the universities. It was Gioacchino Murat who abolished the servitude of the lands, giving them in perpetual emphyteusis to agriculture. He banned the sale of large tracts, to stimulate the creation of a new class of landowners. These interventions on the territory served to alleviate the poverty of the countryside, increased the wealth in the kingdom of Naples, improved the finances of the state with the suppression of feudal systems throughout Southern Italy. The large agricultural expanses required timely protection of the land, to ensure the best care and administration, so the need was dressed in beauty, creating a unique rural building in the world. The farmers turned into masters, the pastures became private and were surrounded by dry stone walls, and this is how the development of agriculture changed the appearance of the territory forever. For this reason, buildings become an element of functional and formal qualification. It is against the backdrop of these regional events that the adventure of a family begins which has linked its name to this territory, and which has been working and producing here for 5 generations. Carlo, originally from Alberobello, moved to this area in 1860 and planted the first vineyards, starting wine production. In 1900, production was specialized on native vines: Verdeca, Bianco d'Alessano, Marchione and Susumaniello. The 1970s represent a turning point for viticulture for the entire region. These were the years of interest in Apulian wines on the part of the large French and northern Italian wine houses, who used the high alcohol gradients of Apulian wines for the "cut" so as to strengthen their "lighter" products by giving them colour, structure and alcohol. In 1999 the ownership - passing through the generations - was reorganized and modernized, transforming the family agricultural business into a modern and functional company. The cellar is renovated, with the latest generation equipment for winemaking, in line with the new standards, reception spaces are created with the creation of routes for tasting and learning about the products. In 2001 the production, which has preserved traditional cultivation methods, obtained the first organic production certification. The agricultural company with its very high quality production continues its activity taking care of the buildings and vineyards without interruption, because little has changed in agriculture. The agricultural activity is expanded with hospitality and wine tours. Engagement has a positive ripple effect by involving visitors. Visitors want to experience experiential tourism, full of authenticity, thus becoming brand ambassadors.