Where is the Catabbo winery located?

Catabbo is at Contrada Petriera, above San Martino in Pensilis in Molise. That is in the province of Campobasso. The estate sits inland from Termoli, on the Adriatic side, in the Biferno valley wine area.

Can you visit Catabbo and book a tasting?

Yes. Guided tastings and cellar visits run at the Petriera estate by appointment. Book through the Visite Guidate page on catabbo.it, or write to the family at info@catabbo.it.

Is Catabbo a certified organic winery?

Yes. All three of Catabbo's farms are certified organic. They are the original Petriera estate at San Martino in Pensilis, plus Tenuta al Convento and Tenuta al Calvario. Between them they cover all 128 acres of vines.

What grape varieties does Catabbo work with?

Tintilia is the headline grape, with several distinct bottlings under Tintilia del Molise DOP. A Tintilia-led blend, I Diecettari, carries the Molise Rosso DOP label. Falanghina del Molise is the main white, including a version aged in clay jars. The Petriera entry range and a pair of Ancestrale sparkling wines complete the cellar.

What is Tintilia and why does it matter at Catabbo?

Tintilia is a rare native red grape that almost died out in Molise during the twentieth century. Catabbo's first planting in 1992 was one of the early commercial replantings. The family has since built one of Italy's widest Tintilia ranges, including the Vincè Riserva and the single-vineyard Colle Cervino.

Who runs Catabbo today?

Catabbo is family-run. Vincenzo Catabbo founded the cellar in the early 1990s. His children Sarah, Carla and Pasquale joined in 2004. They led the move to a modern cellar and the Tintilia-focused range that defines the estate today.

Catabbo

Catabbo is a family winery on the stony hills above San Martino in Pensilis, on the Adriatic side of Molise. Vincenzo Catabbo, a former grain trader, planted his first half hectare of Tintilia here in 1992. His children joined him in 2004 and pushed for a modern cellar. Its three farms are certified organic, with 128 acres of vines between them. It is one of a small group of producers giving Tintilia, the rare native red grape of Molise, a modern expression. Tastings and cellar tours run by appointment.

Molise
Est. 1990
Tastings
Tours
Booking required

Book a visit 4 experiences · from €35

Catabbo vineyards on the Petriera hillside above San Martino in Pensilis, Molise

About Catabbo

Vincenzo Catabbo founded the winery in the early 1990s. He had spent ten years trading grain in Italy and abroad. He bought his first parcel of land above San Martino in Pensilis to grow wheat. The plot was full of stones and refused to cooperate. That is how the spot earned the name Petriera, the stony place.

A chance conversation with an elderly farmer changed the plan. He still kept cuttings of the almost-forgotten Tintilia vine. In 1992 Vincenzo planted half a hectare of it at Petriera. A wine estate began to take shape.

A research trip to Bordeaux and Burgundy convinced Vincenzo the future lay in the vineyard, not the warehouse. The turning point came in 2004. His children Sarah, Carla and Pasquale joined and pushed for a modern cellar. The brief was simple. Bottle the estate's grapes without losing the character of the place. And give Tintilia, long overlooked, a serious modern expression.

Today the family farms nearly 200 acres, 128 of them vines, across three certified organic estates. The original Petriera farm sits beside the higher Tenuta al Convento and Tenuta al Calvario. Each plot gives the same Tintilia vines a different soil and climate. That is why the cellar releases several distinct Tintilia bottlings rather than one estate red.

The Tintilia del Molise DOP range runs from the entry Tintilia S to the single-vineyard Colle Cervino and the longer-aged Vincè Riserva. I Diecettari, a Molise Rosso DOP, is the broader Tintilia-led blend. Falanghina del Molise leads the whites, through Colle del Limone and a version aged in amphora. Tinduce closes the range as a Tintilia passito. The Petriera line of Bianco, Rosato and Rosso handles the everyday wines. Two ancestral-method sparklers, Ancestrale Bianco and Ancestrale Rosato, sit at the experimental edge.

Visits happen at the Petriera estate by appointment. Guided tastings and cellar tours are booked through the Visite Guidate page on the winery website. Enquiries also go to the family at [email protected]. The cellar is a short drive inland from Termoli, on Molise's Adriatic coast.

Editorial · ItalianWines.co.uk

Plate I · MOLISE

Catabbo on the Molise wine atlas

Anchored in Biferno Valley, the editorial heart of Molise.

Contrada Petriera, 86046 San Martino In Pensilis, Campobasso (Molise)

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Visit & Experiences

4 bookable experiences at Catabbo

4 tastings, checked by our editors. From €35.

At a glance, editorially verified

Tastings 4 bookable Tours 1 bookable

Accommodation Not available

Booking Required in advance

Tasting

The Treasures of San Martino at Cantine Catabbo

1h 30 From €40 per person English and Italiano

Three Tintilia Wines paired with local flavours!

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Tasting

Trilogy - A Journey Through the Colors of Wine at Cantine Catabbo in Molise

1h 1 From €35 per person English and Italiano

Discover the essence of Molise at Cantine Catabbo, where fine wines and local flavors come together in a serene countryside setting.

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Tasting

The nuances of Tintilia at Cantine Catabbo in Molise

2h From €65 per person English and Italiano

A taste of Tintilia and local traditions

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Tasting & Tour

Cellar visit and guided tasting at Contrada Petriera

Guided visit of the Petriera estate cellar with a tasting of Catabbo's Tintilia and Falanghina lines. Booked by enquiry through the Visite Guidate page on catabbo.it or directly to the family at [email protected].

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on catabbo.it

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Wines from Catabbo

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Wines for this winery are still being curated. Check back as the UK retailer selection expands.

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catabbo.it/

Contrada Petriera, 86046 San Martino In Pensilis, Campobasso (Molise)

+39 0875604945

[email protected]

Common questions

Catabbo is at Contrada Petriera, above San Martino in Pensilis in Molise. That is in the province of Campobasso. The estate sits inland from Termoli, on the Adriatic side, in the Biferno valley wine area.
Yes. Guided tastings and cellar visits run at the Petriera estate by appointment. Book through the Visite Guidate page on catabbo.it, or write to the family at [email protected].
Yes. All three of Catabbo's farms are certified organic. They are the original Petriera estate at San Martino in Pensilis, plus Tenuta al Convento and Tenuta al Calvario. Between them they cover all 128 acres of vines.
Tintilia is the headline grape, with several distinct bottlings under Tintilia del Molise DOP. A Tintilia-led blend, I Diecettari, carries the Molise Rosso DOP label. Falanghina del Molise is the main white, including a version aged in clay jars. The Petriera entry range and a pair of Ancestrale sparkling wines complete the cellar.
Tintilia is a rare native red grape that almost died out in Molise during the twentieth century. Catabbo's first planting in 1992 was one of the early commercial replantings. The family has since built one of Italy's widest Tintilia ranges, including the Vincè Riserva and the single-vineyard Colle Cervino.
Catabbo is family-run. Vincenzo Catabbo founded the cellar in the early 1990s. His children Sarah, Carla and Pasquale joined in 2004. They led the move to a modern cellar and the Tintilia-focused range that defines the estate today.

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Catabbo

About Catabbo

Catabbo on the Molise wine atlas

Denominations Produced

Grapes Used

Denominations Produced

Grapes Used

4 bookable experiences at Catabbo

The Treasures of San Martino at Cantine Catabbo

Trilogy - A Journey Through the Colors of Wine at Cantine Catabbo in Molise

The nuances of Tintilia at Cantine Catabbo in Molise

Cellar visit and guided tasting at Contrada Petriera

Wines Coming Soon

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Common questions

Have a question or need help with a booking?

Azienda Agricola Di Majo Norante

Tenimenti Grieco

Campi Valerio

Cantine Borgo di Colloredo

Terresacre