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Castel de Paolis is a family wine estate in Grottaferrata, a hill town just south of Rome. It sits in the Castelli Romani, on volcanic slopes that have shaped Roman wine for centuries. The Santarelli family bought the first vineyard plots here in 1974. From 1985 they worked with Professor Attilio Scienza of the University of Milan. Together they tested which grapes really suit these soils. The estate is best known for Frascati Superiore DOCG and for I Quattro Mori, a Lazio IGT red led by Syrah. Both wines helped change what people expect from Rome's volcanic hills.
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Giulio Santarelli bought the first five acres of vines above Grottaferrata in 1974. At the time he was Italy's Undersecretary of State for Agriculture. For a decade the grapes went to local cooperatives, which turned them into Frascati Superiore DOC. That changed in 1985. Santarelli teamed up with Professor Attilio Scienza of the University of Milan. Their question was simple: which grapes do these volcanic, potassium-rich soils really want? The answer took eight years and re-shaped the estate.
Between 1985 and 1993 the team trialled local Lazio grapes next to international ones. The Lazio side included Malvasia del Lazio, Bellone, Bonvino, Cesanese, Grechetto, Bombino and Moscato Rosa. The imports included Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Viognier and Roussanne. The estate was also the first in the area to use a green harvest on its reds. Workers drop about a quarter of the bunches two months before picking. Each vine then ripens no more than 1.5 kg of grapes. The 25 acres were replanted in orderly rows between 1988 and 1993.
A new winery was built into the hillside in 1992. During the digging, workers found Roman-age water cisterns under the cellar floor. They are still in use: cool, humid rooms where the wines age in barriques. The first estate wines followed in 1993: eight labels across whites, reds and dessert wines. The list began with Frascati Superiore, now a DOCG wine. Donna Adriana, Campo Vecchio Bianco and Rosso, I Quattro Mori, Muffa Nobile, Rosathea and Frascati Cannellino completed it. All eight are still made today.
In 2005 the family spent about two million euros on the cellar. The winemaking hall grew, with refrigerated steel tanks. Two dining rooms and a professional kitchen were added for lunches and private events. A swimming pool area higher up the estate looks out across the vines towards Rome. The mix of serious cellar and visitor space has made this one of central Italy's better-known wine stops.
The Santarelli family still owns and runs the estate. Founder Giulio now works alongside his son Fabrizio, who handles sales at home and abroad. Export markets include the United States, Brazil, China, Japan and several European countries. Guided tastings of the vines and cellar are booked through the partner Wineries Experience. The kitchen serves Lazio classics with the wines: Genzano porchetta, local cheese, and bread from the wood-fired oven.
Plate I · LAZIO
Wine area
The volcanic hills south of Rome where Frascati and most of Lazio's everyday wine is made.
Winery
Grottaferrata, Roma · Castelli Romani
3 tastings, checked by our editors. From €27.50.
Tasting & Tour
Guided walk through the vineyards and the cellar, including the Roman-age water cisterns now used to age the barriques. Tasting of two Campo Vecchio Lazio IGT wines, one white and one red, served with taralli from the wood-fired oven. Reservations required, free cancellation up to 48 hours before the visit.
on wineriesexperience.com
Tasting & Tour
Vineyard and cellar tour with the estate story, then a tasting of Frascati Superiore DOCG and Campo Vecchio Lazio IGT Rosso paired with bread from the wood-fired oven, local cured meats and cheeses, and a wood-fired-oven dessert. Reservations required, free cancellation up to 48 hours before the visit.
on wineriesexperience.com
Tasting & Tour
Full guided tour of the vineyards and cellar followed by a tasting of three signature wines: Donna Adriana Lazio IGT, Campo Vecchio Lazio IGT and the dessert Rosathea. Served with bread from the wood-fired oven, local cured meats and cheeses, Genzano porchetta and a wood-fired-oven dessert. Reservations required, free cancellation up to 48 hours before the visit.
on wineriesexperience.com
Not seeing the estate you want? Estates without an online listing are reachable directly, and their phone and email are in Plan your visit.
Azienda Agricola Castel de Paolis's current bottle selection is easiest to understand through Cesanese and Malvasia di Candia.
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Lazio
Est. 1985 
3 wines 
Tastings
Tours
Booking required 
