Feudi di San Marzano

From a handshake cooperative to a reference address in Apulia

In 1962, nineteen winegrower families from San Marzano di San Giuseppe founded Cantina San Marzano — with a handshake, without capital, but with the shared will to market the grapes of Salento themselves instead of selling them anonymously as bulk wine to the north. What began as a small cooperative grew over decades to around 1,500 member families. The real leap in quality came in 2003: Cantina San Marzano and Farnese Vini from Abruzzo joined forces for the Feudi di San Marzano project, with the declared goal of making Apulia's indigenous grape varieties internationally visible. In 2022, Gambero Rosso named the cooperative Cantina Sociale of the Year — proof of how far this path has led.

Alberello, red limestone, and digital vineyard sensor technology

The vineyards are located in the heart of the Primitivo di Manduria DOP, on the characteristic red limestone soil between the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. Many vines are still trained in the traditional Alberello system — bush-like, without wire frames, close to the ground. This form of training, known since antiquity, forces the vine to self-shade, reduces water loss, and concentrates the aromas in small quantities of berries. The harvest is done by hand.

In the cellar, Feudi di San Marzano combines this tradition with modern cellar technology: temperature-controlled vinification, aging in French and American oak barrels depending on the cuvée, and precise yeast management. Pilot projects with climate sensors and soil probes to monitor hydration stress are underway in the vineyards — the cooperative sees this as the path to consistent organic farming without loss of yield. Chemical fertilizers are left out.

Primitivo, Negroamaro, Susumaniello — the range as a plea for Apulia

The wines of Feudi di San Marzano follow a clear signature: fruit-driven but structured, with the goal of bringing the natural cleanliness of the fruit into every bottle — whether in the entry-level friendly line I Tratturi or in the Riserva Anniversario 62, which is dedicated to the founding year of the cooperative and matures for 18 months in barriques. The Primitivos show dark plum, cherry jam, tobacco, and cocoa on the finish, carried by velvety-ripe tannins. The Negroamaro brings herbal-spicy depth and a cooler acidity line. With the rosé from Susumaniello — one of the rarest indigenous grape varieties in Apulia — and an extra virgin olive oil, the range extends far beyond red wine. Wines exported to over 60 countries: Feudi di San Marzano today stands for what Apulia can do when tradition and craftsmanship come together.