Statti

Barone Statti: Three centuries on the same soil

The history of the Statti family does not begin with a wine cellar, but with a military campaign. In the 15th century, Albanian soldiers named Stath came to Southern Italy to support King Alfonso V of Aragon during the "Revolt of the Barons." As a reward, they received lands in what is now Lamezia Terme — the foundation of a noble lineage that acquired the title of Baron in the 17th century and has been cultivating the same soil to this day. Since the year 1700, the family has lived on their 500 hectares in the Lamezia Terme plain and has helped shape Calabrian agriculture for generations. The family business in its current form is led by brothers Alberto and Antonio Statti, who took over the winery in the 1990s and consistently developed it toward quality and international visibility.

Setteventi: Viticulture between two seas and seven winds

The heart of the operation is the Tenuta Lenti in the Piana di Lamezia Terme — a total area of 500 hectares, where around 90 employees work. Of this, 100 hectares are dedicated to vineyards, 300 hectares to centuries-old olive groves of the Carolea variety, and 50 hectares to citrus orchards; in addition, there is dairy farming. The vineyards bear the name Setteventi — named after the strong sea winds that circulate here between the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas. This natural ventilation system protects the vines from fungal diseases and enables integrated, resource-saving plant protection. The subsoil of red clay, sand, and gravel inclusions stores the heat of the Calabrian sun during the day and releases it at night.

Alberto and Antonio Statti are convinced that a good wine is created in the vineyard, not in the cellar. Consequently, investments were made in vine training: trellis training allows for optimal sun exposure, the harvest begins at the end of August and continues until mid-October, depending on the variety. In the cellar, the winery works with experienced Sicilian oenologists. For energy, Statti relies on biogas and renewable sources, making it a pioneer of ecologically sustainable agriculture in Calabria. The vineyard is fertilized with its own manure — a closed cycle that links viticulture, olive cultivation, and livestock farming on the same estate.

Gaglioppo, Greco, and the return of the old varieties

Statti's assortment focuses on indigenous grape varieties: Gaglioppo, Greco Bianco, Greco Nero, Mantonico, and Magliocco — all varieties brought to the region by Greek settlers more than two thousand years ago and which form the backbone of the DOC Lamezia and IGT Calabria. The Batasarro Rosso Lamezia DOC Riserva, a single-varietal Gaglioppo, matures for 18 months in oak barrels and another 12 months in the bottle — structured, full of character, with a long finish. The I Gelsi line combines white, rosé, and red under one roof and shows the breadth of the Calabrian terroir in a more accessible form. This is complemented by single-varietal bottlings of Gaglioppo, Greco Bianco, and Greco Nero, as well as the Cauro Calabria IGT. Those who drink Statti wines do not get a polished Southern Italy cliché, but wines with mineral tension, Mediterranean herbal spice, and the unmistakable character of a region that was long underestimated — and is currently in the process of changing that.