From Neapolitan nobility to the reference address of Salento
In 1580, Francesco Antonio Zecca left Naples and settled in Leverano — in the middle of Salento, the extreme south of Puglia, between the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. The region was a trading hub at the time: grapes and bulk wine from Salento went to France, England, and Scandinavia, and the Zecca family built one of the leading roles in this export business over generations. For their contribution to the development of the region, they were awarded the title of Count in 1884 — since then, every family member has carried the name Conti Zecca. Alcibiade Zecca took the step from landed estate to winery at the beginning of the 20th century: he bottled the first bottles of Saraceno red wine, named after one of the family estates. In the 1940s, he founded the modern winery in Leverano and created the house's first official wine label with Donna Marzia. Today, the four brothers Alcibiade, Francesco, Luciano, and Mario Zecca — together with Mario's son Clemente, who has been on board since 2018 — lead the winery in its fourth and fifth generation, respectively.
320 hectares, four estates, a clear stance on origin
Conti Zecca manages around 320 hectares of vineyards, distributed across four estates with different soil types: Cantalupi, Donna Marzia, Santo Stefano, and Saraceno. Each location brings its own pedoclimatic conditions — this is not a marketing formula, but the basis for the house to extract a broad spectrum of styles from a single territory. In the vineyard, the principle of minimal intervention applies. Clemente Zecca has consistently developed this approach in recent years and has mapped three single-vineyard cru zones across the estates — an important step towards more terroir-specific vinification. In the cellar, oenologist Antonio Romano is responsible for the stylistic direction, supported by consulting oenologist Giorgio Marone — a collaboration that has existed since the late 1990s and has given the house an international profile.
Negroamaro, Primitivo, Malvasia — Puglia in the glass, without detours
Conti Zecca's assortment is built on the autochthonous grape varieties of Salento: Negroamaro forms the backbone of many wines and gives them their characteristic depth and spicy darkness; Primitivo stands for concentrated, sun-drenched fruit; Malvasia Bianca and Nera complete the picture. International varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay can be found in the portfolio, but they are used sparingly and as a supplement — never to overwrite the regional character. The style is warm and fruit-driven, but always carries an invigorating freshness, which is due to the constant wind between the two seas. With the 1998 Nero — a cuvée that was awarded three glasses in the Gambero Rosso 2001 — Conti Zecca achieved its international breakthrough and a redefinition of what top-class Apulian wine can achieve. Around 30 percent of production goes to export, primarily to Germany, the English-speaking world, as well as Japan and China.
