Masseria Li Veli

A splendid building stands there between Brindisi and Lecce on the peninsula Salento in Apulia, between Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Marchese Antonio de Viti de Marco, an internationally renowned economist, university professor and senator from Lecce, built a top vineyard from Li Veli on medieval foundations, which later became a model for the whole of southern Italy.

And as is so often the case, it was the immigrants who were to take the decisive next step. And they're not strangers. In 1999 the Alberto Falvo family, the former owners of Avignonesi from Montepulciano in Tuscany, bought the vineyard.

With a lot of effort and attention to detail, the historic premises, including the wine cellar with its elaborate star vault, were renovated and brought up to the state of the art.

Almost more effort was put into the gentle modernisation of the old vineyards. These 36 hectares are mainly planted with old autochthonous grape varieties such as Negroamaro, Primitivo, Susumaniello, Fiano and Verdeca, and this in the classic old Albarello education, i.e. quasi small trees, of which more than 5,000 are planted per hectare and which can hardly be cultivated mechanically.

It took a while. Today, however, Li Veli is one of the best producers in Apulia and demonstrates that Negroamaro or Primitivo do not have to be rustic, but with due care can also produce elegant and drinkable wines. This was worth a listing in the top hundred wineries of Italy for the Wine Spectator.

In addition to the well-known red wine varieties, the quite wonderful white wines, which one would not expect here, are particularly worth mentioning. These include, for example, the Fiano del Salento and the "Askos" Verdeca del Salento. With the Askos line, Masseria Li Veli focuses on the preservation of Apulian grape varieties threatened with extinction with particular dedication and appreciation. These autochthonous varieties are cultivated on ideal terroir.

Numerous national and international awards show that traditional cultivation and modern, gentle cellar technology can go hand in hand if done correctly. We are extremely pleased that our pricing policy remains moderate. SUPERIORE.DE

"They do exist - the exciting and non-marmeladige red wines from Apulia." Dr. Jens Priewe (weinkenner.de)