Varvaglione 1921

Common questions

• Where is the Varvaglione 1921 winery? add remove
  The cellar and tasting room sit at Contrada Santa Lucia in Leporano, in the province of Taranto. That is the Ionian side of Puglia. The drive takes roughly 30 minutes from Taranto and about 90 minutes from Brindisi airport. The estate stands on the western edge of what Apulians call the Salento.
• Can I visit the winery and book a tasting? add remove
  Yes, both tasting experiences need advance booking through the form on varvaglione.com. The 45-minute Varvaglione in un Calice pours 3 wines from the 12 e Mezzo line. The 2 hour 30 minute I Sapori della Puglia serves 4 reds with friselline and Varvaglione olive oil. The reds include Papale Rosso and the DOCG Chicca. Tastings run in Italian, English, German, Polish, Russian and Mandarin.
• Which wines is Varvaglione 1921 best known for? add remove
  The flagship labels are Papale Linea Oro and Cosimo Varvaglione. Both are Primitivo di Manduria DOC made from old vines. Around those sit La Riserva 1921, the centenary bottling Masseria Pizzariello, and the broad 12 e Mezzo Salento IGP range. The small volume Chicca is a Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale DOCG.
• Is Varvaglione 1921 a family business? add remove
  Yes. The Varvaglione family has owned and run the estate since Cosimo Varvaglione founded it in 1921. It is now in its fourth generation. Cosimo and Maria Teresa lead the company today. Their children Marzia, Angelo and Francesca (Chicca) run the four pillars of the Family collection alongside them.
• How big is the production and does Varvaglione export? add remove
  The estate produces around five million bottles a year and exports to more than 70 markets. Distribution is strongest across Northern Europe, North America and East Asia. The family directly farms around 150 hectares. Long-term grower partnerships across the Salento add a further 400.
• Does Varvaglione 1921 produce organic wines? add remove
  Two specific wines are bottled as organic Puglia IGP: a red Primitivo Puglia IGP Biologico and a white Bianco Puglia IGP Biologico. The wider estate is not certified organic across the board. Instead it runs under the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, ISO 22005, BRC and IFS standards. The Universities of Udine and Tor Vergata Rome carry out monthly quality audits.