Tormaresca (Antinori)

Antinori's ode to the south of Italy

The Tormaresca winery in Puglia is Marchesi Antinori's flagship winery on the heel of Italy's boot and a tribute to this ancient and wonderful wine-growing region, where wine has been produced since the ancient Greeks. Tormaresca is the only company in the region with vineyards in the two top wine-growing regions of Puglia. Two beautifully located wineries, the Bocca di Lupo winery in Murgia in the DOC Castel del Monte, and the Masseria Maìme winery in Salento, not far from the sea, and the lively heart of the wine-growing region.

Tormaresca - the renaissance of a wine region

Puglia was long known only for quantity, but not for quality. Until a few years ago the largest producer of wine grapes in Italy, most of these grapes are exported, however, to northern Italy and abroad to produce table wines. But this has been changing with remarkable speed since the nineties, the wine-growing region of Puglia is experiencing a real renaissance: modern wineries are springing up everywhere, wine routes crisscross the region, 25 DOC have been designated, autochthonous grape varieties such as Primitivo, Negroamaro, Fiano and Aglianico are receiving the recognition they deserve.

During a trip Piero Antinori made with the oenologist Renzo Cottarella at his side in the mid-90s, the decision was made to invest in this potential: wonderful grapes on a perfect terroir, but no infrastructure for the production of high quality wines. Since 1998, Tormaresca has been working to make this renaissance come true, to discover and promote the autochthonous grape varieties and local culture, to produce quality wines, sustainable and ecological, with enthusiasm for tradition, coupled with passion and a spirit of innovation.

Tenuta

Bocca di Lupo - the rediscovery of a unique terroir

The Bocca di Lupo winery, with its 140 hectares near Minervino Murge in Puglia, is located in the DOC Castel del Monte. The area is known for its beauty, its landscape and for Castel del Monte, the octagonal castle of the Stuaffenkaiser Friedrich II and his passion for hunting. The vineyards grow at 300 m.a.s.l., with harsh winters, strong temperature fluctuations, thick fogs that at times cover the entire vineyards and the proximity of the Vulture volcano, are just some of the challenges that characterize this area. Here are grown Chardonnay, Fiano Pugliese, Moscato Reale, Aglianico, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero di Troia.
The manor house, made of white tufa, is built according to historical models; the underground wine cellar, with a double barrel vault, is also made of tufa and can hold up to 1000 oak barrels. From the terrace of the farmhouse you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside, the nearby Minervino with its white stone houses and the volcano Vulture that seems to watch over the plain.

Masseria Maìme - sea, wine, nature, Tormaresca

The Masseria Maìme winery in Alto Salento has been the headquarters of Tormaresca since 2009, 500 hectares, of which 350 are vineyards and in between ancient cereals and olive trees, surrounded by pine forests. Endless rows of vines as far as the eye can see, which seem to get lost in the sea. The Salento area stretches between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, the soils vary from rugged rocks to white sand, the climate is typically Mediterranean with mild winters and long, hot and dry summers, favored by the close proximity to the Adriatic Sea.  Chardonnay, Negoramaro, Primitivo and Cabernet Sauvignon are grown here.
In the midst of the vineyards stands the manor house, a historic 17th century masseria, already used in the past for winemaking and as a warehouse for grain, outside the historic walls stands a small aristocratic chapel, San Pasquale in Maìme. The newly built, state-of-the-art wine cellar Cantina Tormaresca in the center of the winery blends effortlessly into the surrounding landscape with its low-rise structure and flowing forms.