The winery, which is located among the lush hills north of Consenza and below the Pollino massif, was owned by the La Costa noble family of Calabria. Francesco Pacelli’s family on his mother’s side descended from this family of barons. The La Costa family had properties in the town of Malvito dating back to 1700, and this included an ancient Norman castle. The castle was later donated to the town, which renovated it. In the early years of the twentieth century, the family chose to use the estate, located in the Rose contrada just a few kilometres from town, as a rural residence. It was only in the 1970s that Baron Gaetano La Costa decided to plant grapes, choosing Italian wine varieties. Because he loved Chianti and Barbera, he planted Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Malvasia. More than 40 years later, this represents the oldest part of the winery.
His nephew inherited the estate after his death. Since then, this little gem has expanded. Here everything is taken care of down to the smallest detail: from the grapes and olives harvested by hand; to the production and sale of cherries; to the new cantina equipped with the most high-tech machines; to the nearby room for tastings and refreshments; all the way to the preservation of the old hunting lodge from the eighteenth century. The fundamental elements of the winery include respect for the terroir, organic farming and high quality. All of this is backed up by the cover cropping technique used, the very few treatment processes carried out in the vineyard throughout the year, the fact that we produce everything internally (this is why we are members of FIVI, The Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers), and our “farm-to-table” concept that guarantees sustainable consumption.
The winery’s vineyards extend across the green hill that overlooks the plains of Rose, the contrada where the Pacelli estate stands tall, dominated by the hunting lodge of the noble La Costa family. This ancient residence dates back to the end of the 1700s. With its four crenelated towers, it also served as an outpost and observatory. Our respect for nature can be seen in the way our vineyard is cultivated with painstaking care. Actually, chemical fertilizers are not allowed in the vineyard, and we favour the use of cover cropping, which is common in organic farming.