An oenologist from the north who thinks of the south
Terre di Campo Sasso is not a classic winery, but a cooperation project — and one of the most remarkable of its kind in Southern Italy. The Piedmontese oenologist Alessandro Michelon founded it together with four other wine experts from northern Italy with a clear intention: to bundle family businesses in Puglia and Sicily that have small parcels and old vines but no secure sales channel under a common roof. From this approach grew one of the most remarkable success stories of the Apulian wine scene. Over 200 winegrower families now supply their grapes to Terre di Campo Sasso — farmers who often continue a decades-long family tradition in viticulture.
The fact that the headquarters and pressing are geographically far apart is part of the plan: vinification takes place on-site in Puglia, in wineries in the immediate vicinity of the vineyards. The wines are then bottled and packaged in a highly professional facility in Trento — a division of labor that ensures both the freshness of the grapes and cellar-technical precision.
Old vines, short distances to the press
What distinguishes the cooperation with the partner families: previously fallow or semi-wild vineyards were restored and have been cultivated again ever since. The small farmers' vines are often over 50 years old — stocks that are deeply rooted in the red, lime-rich soils of Puglia and deliver low but extract-rich yields on their own. The Ionian climate does the rest: plenty of sun, a warm sea breeze, and cooling at night create conditions that favor slow, even ripening.
The grapes are selected during the harvest. Maceration takes place at a controlled temperature, and some of the wines are then aged for several months in barriques. The goal is not a heavy, over-extracted style, but wines that clearly articulate the terroir of the south — with the cellar-technical care that the team of oenologists from the north brings with them.
Primitivo, Negroamaro, and the power of old Apulian grape varieties
The focus of the Apulian range is on the autochthonous varieties of the region: Primitivo and Negroamaro. The Primitivo di Manduria DOC comes from a selection of older vineyards in the DOC zone of the same name between the provinces of Taranto and Brindisi — one of the few Apulian appellations with its own DOC status since 1974. In the glass, the Campo Sasso interpretations of this variety show dark blackberry, herbal spice, and tobacco, carried by a supple tannin structure and a pleasant juiciness. The Vecchio Vigneto Rosso Puglia from old vineyards complements the picture with depth and complexity.
The project stands for an approach that is still not a matter of course in Apulian viticulture: offering small farmers a reliable foundation, while consistently checking the quality of every batch — and getting the best out of both worlds. The Primitivo goes well with spicy meat dishes and aged cheese, the Vecchio Vigneto with heartier braised dishes or an evening that allows for time.
