Cantina San Donaci, one of the most ancient companies of the Salento country, was founded in 1933, thanks to an entrepreneurial idea of a group of 12 farmers, who wanted to develop the economy of their product and land. After initial scepticism had been allayed, more growers, convinced that the idea was a good one, joined the founder members. With the passing of years, the company has reached an enough remarkable number of partners. Today the company has about 300 partners, who enable the company to get a number of grapes that varies according to the vintages from 25000 to 30000 quintals. All partners, though the hostile years that the wine sector has suffered, did not hesitate to go on and to complete the investments planned for the technological and structural projects of modernization. Its continuity and its strong local roots have contributed greatly to the agricultural history of Salice Salentino becoming a definitive benchmark for Italian wine making.
Today Cantina San Donaci uses highly modern technology. The maceration in automatic vinifying containers with submersion of steel caps, the check of the fermentation temperature, the soft presses contribute to enhance the excellent oranoleptic features of our products, pointing out the typical tastes. One of the most important features of our products is the irreplaceable ageing in durmast barrels, which refine the taste and enhance the high quality. Now equipped with the most modern winemaking equipment, the Cantina San Donaci has concentrated its efforts in the last few years on increasing the quality of every single aspect involved the production of wine. Agronomists supervise and support member growers from the choice of grape varieties to plant and training techniques, advising them on methods of pruning and sound agronomical practices. Only healthy, high-quality grapes can produce quality wines: based on this, the Cantina San Donaci rewards the work of its members with a thorough analysis of the grapes coming in and shares out the proceeds in proportion to the quality of the grapes delivered.
All the estates owned by the company are within the Salice Salentino Area (historical zone), in the best wine country, with an extension of about 320 hectares and with considerable variety of soils and microclimate. In order to best represent these micro-zones, the grapes coming from their most important vineyards are made separately into wine, thus obtaining a better result in terms of quality of our wine in the bottle. The vineyards are planted on clay-limestone terraces that are well adapted to hot and arid climates. Depending on the availability of water and the kind of wine to be produced, they can be trained following different systems (gobelet and espalier) with both long and short pruning. Naturally, the company is committed to save the Alberello Pugliese that has very ancient origins. It's a form of system strongly associated with winegrowing tradition of the Mediterranean and is characterized by a development content of the plant and a small load of gems, these characteristics that give rise to quality grapes significantly higher compared to traditional systems.
Cantina San Donaci S.c.a.
Via Mesagne 62
72025 San Donaci (Brindisi)
Italia
+39 0831 681005
