Some wine stories begin with a plot of land. This one begins with a decision against everything familiar. In 1665, the Spanish Duke Oronzo Arcangelo, Count of Lemos, travelled to Salento. Red, iron-rich soils, shimmering light, ancient olive groves – he sells his property in Spain and settles in Salice Salentino. Thousands of hectares of vines, olives and cereals are planted. The foundation stone for Leone de Castris is laid – today one of the oldest continuously cultivated wineries in Europe.
The following chapters are also milestones in Apulian viticulture. In 1925, the winery was the first in the region to bottle its own wines. In 1943, Italy's first bottled rosé, Five Roses, was created. An American name for a wine from the Contrada "Cinque Rose", named after a family tradition. The first Salice Salentino follows in 1954, which later receives DOC status. Today, Piernicola Leone de Castris runs the estate with around 300 hectares, exclusively in Apulia, using only regional grape varieties – out of conviction.
Four wines demonstrate the breadth of this heritage. The "Five Roses Anniversario" 2025, vinified as an own selection since 1993, combines Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera from old bush vines to create a rosato with depth and salty freshness. "Colpo di Zappa" 2021 comes from the higher Tenuta Nicoletta on the limestone plateau of the Murgia: Primitivo with violets, black cherry and surprising elegance. "Donna Lisa" 2020, Salice Salentino Riserva from vines up to 70 years old, stands for structure, maturity and complex flavour. And "Per Lui" Primitivo 2020, a tribute to father Salvatore, combines late harvest, dark fruit and a warm, dense texture to create a wine with character.
360 years of Leone de Castris is not a museum tradition, but a living progress with Apulian soul. Past and present are naturally intertwined here. Discover the latest Castris wines now, enjoy. SUPERIORE.DE