Castelle

The Castelle winery is a producer in the Campania region, based in the town of Castelvenere, right in the heart of the Sannio Benevento area. The current project of qualitative and territorial rebirth was inaugurated in 1992 by the pioneering spirit of the Assini brothers, Mariano and Raffaele, although the winery has a much older history. It was their great-great-grandfather, Antonio Assini, who received the land where the winery currently stands from the Church after the unification of Italy. Three generations later, Mariano and Raffaele have taken over the reins of this profoundly traditional business, inspired by an innovative and modern spirit, which has essentially led to a substantial restyling of the winery. First of all, they elevated the winemaking processes to a higher level of quality, and then introduced a welcoming and stylish tasting area, where, in addition to sampling the house wines, guests can also enjoy traditional Sanniti dishes. Today there are 7 hectares of vines and, where empirical agriculture was practised completely unrelated to the territory, a targeted agronomic practice has spread which is as non-interventionist as possible. In Castelvenere, a small village in the Valle Telesina, in the Benevento area, where olive and lemon groves seem endless, it doesn't take long to realise that viticulture plays a central and predominant role in this part of the Campania hinterland. This landscape is particularly fascinating for man and especially fertile for local varieties such as Falanghina, Fiano and Aglianico, which grow perfectly on calcareous and clayey soils at an altitude of 300 metres. Low environmental impact, reduction of pesticides, minimum doses of copper sulphate and sulphur and the elimination of pesticides and herbicides are all part of Castelle's agronomic management, which is geared towards environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the long process that will lead both the vineyard and the winery to the conversion towards organic production is underway, with certification pending. Solar panels are used for the production of hot water used in the winemaking process, reducing the use of boilers by 60%, and the thermal insulation of the facilities prevents unnecessary heat loss. The most interesting feature of the Castelle winery is its ability to enhance the typical and unique characteristics of the different production areas, presenting the same vine in several versions, allowing the final consumer to experience the geological and microclimatic differences that render the Benevento area so versatile and varied. These two brothers are surrounded by a marvellous wine-growing area, which is the soul of the Castelle winery.