Leone de Castris

The Leone De Castris winery represents all the prestige of the Apulia region. For over three centuries, the small rural community of Salice Salentino has proudly been home to this company, which is now widely established on the national and international markets. Its origins date back to 1665 when a Spanish nobleman fell in love with these fertile soils and their soft hilly profile, deciding to set up a small production and processing business there. After becoming increasingly passionate about this land and accumulating a large amount of money from the sale of his remaining properties in Spain, he made a series of investments in order to purchase several thousand hectares in the Salento region, planting new vines and producing olives and wheat. The first steps towards foreign markets were taken towards the beginning of the 19th century, when the raw wine was sold to the United States, Germany and France.

The greatness of the Leone De Castris winery was established at a turning point in 1925, when the first bottle was produced by Piero and Lisetta De Castris. The decision to preserve a cosmopolitan spirit proved to be successful and led the winery to cultivate indigenous vines alongside numerous international ones. Therefore, alongside the indigenous Negramaro and Primitivo grapes, there are also Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. The 350 hectares are subdivided into vineyards and olive groves, arable land and pasture, in order to keep the agricultural tradition from which this winery originated alive. This prevents the mass production and the prevalence of monoculture, while maintaining a clean landscape.

The wines of Leone De Castris have managed to catalyse international attention over the centuries and have also nobly succeeded in conveying the true indigenous voice of the Apulia region. There is a famous story behind the creation of their flagship label, the Five Roses rosé. Apparently, the American general Charles Poletti, commissioner of supplies for the allied forces during the Second World War, requested a large supply of rosé wine from the Cinque Rose estate, which belongs to this winery. It was named in this way as the generations of the Leone De Castris family constantly followed one another at a rate of five children at a time. The general, in need of an international name to promote this rosé, translated the name of the estate into English, launching it into the foreign market. The dual approach with which the Leone De Castris winery manages to promote its wines both at home and abroad is a great commercial example, with numerous years of success and achievements ahead of it.