Azienda Agricola San Salvatore

From hotelier to winemaker: The story of the Pagano family in Cilento

Giuseppe "Peppe" Pagano grew up with the scent of vineyards. As a child, he helped his father with the grape harvest and the pressing process — memories that never left him. For thirty years, he ran successful hotels in Campania before taking the step back to agriculture in 2004: He bought his first plots in Cilento, planted vineyards, and founded the Azienda Agricola San Salvatore. The name carries a double meaning — it honors his father Salvatore and refers to the year 1988, when Pagano began his entrepreneurial life path. The winery is located in the Cilento e Vallo di Diano National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site south of Naples, on a 97-hectare estate that stretches from the coastal plains near Paestum over the hills of Giungano up to 650 meters in altitude in the mountain village of Stio. Where the ancient Greeks once settled and first planted Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico, the vines of San Salvatore grow today.

Cycle instead of compromise: Biodynamics, buffalo, and solar power

San Salvatore is EU organic certified and works consistently according to biodynamic principles, inspired by Steiner's philosophy. Synthetic pesticides and herbicides are not used; instead, green manure is sown between the vine rows to revitalize the soil. What distinguishes the estate from most organic farms is the consistent circular economy: A herd of water buffalo lives in the middle of the vineyards and provides the natural nutrient and energy cycle via manure and the farm's own biogas plants. The electricity for the cellar and operations also comes from a large photovoltaic system. As cellar master and consultant, Riccardo Cotarella, one of Italy's most renowned oenologists, supports the operation. The 42 hectares of vineyards are divided into three clearly distinguishable terroirs: the calcareous clay soils of the coastal plain near Paestum, the clay-mineral middle slopes near Giungano, and the cool, wind-exposed mountain locations around Stio. Sea breezes and high-altitude climate ensure healthy grapes without chemical intervention — a natural prerequisite that Pagano himself describes as crucial for organic farming.

Autochthonous grape varieties, three terroirs, one clear signature

The San Salvatore range is based exclusively on native Campanian grape varieties: Fiano, Greco, and Falanghina for the whites, Aglianico for the reds. The Fiano from the mountain locations of Stio — known under the names Pian di Stio and Pian di Stio Evoluzione — is considered the estate's flagship: The altitude and long nights produce wines with a taut acid structure, salinity, and an aroma that ranges from citrus peel to white peach to mineral notes. The Greco (Calpazio) shows the fullness and fragrance that proximity to the coast brings. The Aglianico wines — including Ceraso, Jungano, and the special Gillo Dorfles, which is dedicated to the art critic and Cilento lover Gillo Dorfles — come with dark cherry and herbal notes, powerful tannin structure, and the aging potential that characterizes the grape variety. In 2023, San Salvatore was one of eleven wineries worldwide to be awarded the Green Emblem by Robert Parker for outstanding sustainability — a recognition that sums up the house's philosophy: viticulture as a responsibility to the land one cultivates.