Leone de Castris

In the northwest of the Salento peninsula, an area with an ancient wine-growing tradition, is Salice Salentino, a rural municipality where the Leone de Castris winery has been based for over three centuries. The vineyards, which are surrounded by airy and sunny areas, are fertilized exclusively with natural organic substances and cared for by expert hands. Until the beginning of the 19th century Leone de Castris sold its open wines mainly to America, Germany and France. In 1925 Piero and Lisetta Leone de Castris began to market their first bottled wines. The winery became really famous in 1943 with the production of the first Italian Rosato's, the famous "Five Roses". The name comes from a special growing area in Salice Salentino, called "Cinque Rose". Meanwhile the innovative family distributes their wines all over the world. The winery received, among others, the award of Gambero Rosso: Azienda dell'anno 2011.