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Carrello

Company

This is a story of land and passion, that of the Apollonio family; inextricably linked to the destiny of a winery by the same name and that today exports its wines to over 30 different countries around the world. It continues to produce wine using the same methods dear to its founders, while applying the most advanced technologies through the optimization of their production process, down to the marketing of its labels. The Apollonio winery’s history took root in 1870.

Since then, particular attention has been paid to the valorization of Salento’s main grape varieties (mainly Negroamaro and Primitivo, but also Malvasia nera, Susumaniello, Bianco d’Alessano), to the careful selection of the types of wood used for the long ageing processes and to the strong link with the territory which has always been the champion of quality production.

"Passions flourish out of small seeds. "

The winery is organized to take care of all stages of production: from the delivery to the winemaking, from aging to bottling. At the winery, located on the farm, it is possible to organize guided tours and tastings, meetings and events.

1870 The beginnings
Noe Apollonio
It was 1870 when Noè Apollonio planted his own vineyard and produced wine for the first time. He did not lack experience, which he had inherited it from his father Tommaso (a producer and wine merchant born in 1828), and his grandfather Giuseppe (a peasant born in 1805). In the late 19th century, a phylloxera epidemic obliged winegrowers throughout Europe to plant new types of vineyards.

At the time, wine was everything: it was food, care, relief. Noè decided to roll up his sleeves and start a long-lasting adventure, with the help of his family and his tireless workers. He owned a winery in his hometown Aradeo, in ‘Via dei Pozzi Dolci”, the street of wineries and pasta-makers. It was in this plant that he turned grapes into wine and sold his products, such as the Negramaro and Primitivo wines that were made from grapes harvested in the villages of Aradeo, Neviano, and Cutrofiano, in the chalky-clay estates of the “Cafari”.
1870 The beginnings
1920 Second generation
Marcello Apollonio
Driven by the same passion inherited from his father Noè, Marcello proved to be just as hardworking and enthusiastic. After moving to the town of Maglie, he bought some vineyards and rented various wine plants all across the Salento territory, from “Valle della Cupa” (the Cupa valley) to the “Arneo” land, up to those located in the Basilicata region. Tirelessly travelling around the region on a gig during World War II, and by car after the war ended, Marcello managed to satisfy his numerous clients, especially those from northern Italy.

In fact, Salento’s wine then served as an excellent “blending wine” due to its high alcoholic content: Piedmont, Veneto, Lombardy, or Tuscany wine merchants bought it in bulk to bottle their wines. Every Monday, many producers of the area gathered to fix market prices at the “Caffè della Borsa”, which overlooked a Roman amphitheatre that had been recently dug out.
1920 Second generation
1960 Third generation
Salvatore Apollonio​
Marcello Apollonio often went there with his son Salvatore, who would soon run the winery with the same commitment and ability to grasp changes as his father. At the end of World War II, while poverty was slowly giving way to an economic boom and the market was changing, Salvatore had an intuition of how to take advantage of new business opportunities. By introducing business management, he started a new era characterized by a more modern and efficient production, and in 1975 he began to bottle high-quality wines with the Apollonio brand.
1960 Third generation
1995 Fourth generation
Marcello e Massimiliano
At the helm of the company since 1995, Marcello and Massimiliano Apollonio are the fourth generation of the family. Driven by enthusiasm and passion and by the experience they acquired in the field, they decided to pursue the ambitious goal of expanding their products beyond national borders. Under new management, Apollonio has specialized in wine aging and expanded its retailing network. It has widened its range of wine products, with excellence as its objective. Apollonio’s wines are now sold in 35 countries, where they are greatly appreciated as they tell the story of a family and a territory whose identities and authenticity have been left untouched.
1995 Fourth generation