In 1967, Dino Santarelli founded Casale del Giglio in Le Ferriere, a hamlet close to the ancient city of Satricum in the province of Latina some 50 km south of Rome. This was a virgin territory, ripe for viticultural exploration, with Lazio not then known as a major export-quality wine region. Since the early 1990s, Dino’s son Antonio and a young enologist Paolo Tiefenthaler from Trentino have achieved remarkable results by experimenting with several non-native international varieties, starting with almost anything they could think of, but eventually concentrating principally on Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the province of Latina. The winery is certified organic by Suolo E Natura.
The results certainly justified their faith in the experiment, with the mineral rich red clay and alluvial soils excellently suited to all of these varieties. Today these wines, alongside the more recent additions of local varieties such as Bellone, Biancolella, and Cesanese, are a ubiquitous sight in Rome’s buzzing fine restaurant scene, and have propelled Lazio to international attention as a source for fine wines.
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