Winery tour and wine tasting in Rome at Casale del Giglio
Casale del Giglio is a member of The Grand Wine Tour: an Association of the finest wineries across Italy offering exclusive wine tastings, boutique hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants & unique activities dedicated to wine lovers and a luxury clientele. TGWT Mark of Excellence is the very first Italian certification of quality distinguishing high standards in wine tourism hospitality.
Casale del Giglio’s history
Founded by Dino Santarelli in 1967, Casale del Giglio is situated in the Agro Pontino Valley about 50km south of Rome. Located in the Municipality of Aprilia in the Latina province, it is near the Mediterranean Sea and at the feet of the Apennines.
Before founding the winery, this region was relatively unexplored from the point of viticulture in respect to other areas of Lazio and the rest of Italy. Since 1985, Dino’s son, Antonio followed in his father’s winemaking footsteps and set out with Paolo Tiefenthaler, a young enologist from Trentino, on an intense adventure of research to bring back to the winery. They were inspired and guided by the models of cultivation practiced in Bordeaux, Australia and California because of their coastal locations, exactly like the Agro Pontino Valley which benefits greatly from its proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea. In the end, almost 60 different experimental varietals were planted, including Syrah, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon, Viognier and Petit Manseng. It was a complex and risky undertaking that paid off well, and quickly.
From the red varietals, Syrah and Petit Verdot, and from the white, Sauvignon, Viognier and Petit Manseng, took to the soils so well that they led to various single-variety labels and blends. The winery, which today owns 180 hectares of vineyards, has received high praise in both the Italian and international market. Its flagship label is Mater Matuta, a blend of Syrah and Petit Verdot that has a highly concentrated and austere profile of wild black fruits (blackberry, currants), complex spices and a deep ruby color.
Winery Tour & Tastings
Beginning at the front entrance of the winery, you will walk through the vineyards to reach the entrance of the cellar. From here you will be led to a terrace with sweeping, panoramic views of the entire estate. Afterward, you will visit the cellar where we continue to research micro vinifications of the experimental vines we planted in 1985 as well as explore the aging rooms. Following the cellar, you will be guided to the Natural Oasis, a pond that is fed by a natural spring that runs through our estate and is surrounding by a forest of trees native the Maquis shrubland of the Mediterranean.
Afterward, back at the winery, you will be guided to our tasting room to enjoy a wine tasting.
