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This 1.631-acre farm in Lecce, in the heart of Salento, is an example of passion and ethical commitment through many generations: the Vallone family, who have owned this estate since 1934, operated some major changes to their land in 1950; they got rid of sharecropping business agreements and started directly managing this huge agricultural facility.
The first to promote this change was Franco Vallone, Vittoria’s and Franca’s brother, who prematurely died at the age of 39. The two sisters thus took on the moral commitment to continue their brother’s projects, which they have run with strength and passion ever since.

Agricole Vallone is now operating in three self-sufficient locations: Castelserranova, Flaminio, and Iore.

The first facility features some rural buildings, the typical example of an Apulian farm, developed around a XV century castle. All the structures are perfectly integrated into the surrounding landscape thanks to their simple look and the gentle colours of the construction materials, which mimic the sky, the sea and the Earth. In addition to a 99-acre vineyard, near the buildings, there are splendid specimens of Bougainvillea spp., Olea europaea L., and Agave spp.

The second facility, Flaminio, features 225 acres and is mainly focused on agriculture: its dirt roads wind across centuries-old olive trees and beautiful vineyards, connecting the on-site winery inside the very farmhouse.

The 75 acres of land in Iore, on the other hand, host centuries-old vineyards for the production of the noble Negroamaro variety, used for Graticciaia, Vereto Rosso and Vereto Riserva wines. Also in this location, the pure white plaster of the ancient rural buildings beautifully strikes against the bright blue sky of Puglia.

The flagship wine of this farm is Graticciaia, one of the greatest Apulian ones, which comes from Negroamaro grapes dried on a trellis of intertwined reeds and wicker. The fruits are actually left large and sunny terraces, exposed to the sun and sea breeze.

These wondrous vineyards look even better after the seasonal pruning, when they’re free from the shoots of the previous season; the ancient trunks appear extremely prominent in all their glorious strength, revealing their impressive rhytidome.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)