MATCHVINO

Who: Alberto Longo and his family

Winemaker: Graziana Grassini

Founded: 2000

Where: Lucera • Apulia, Italy

Land: The 35 hectares of vineyards owned are divided between the farms of Fattoria Cavalli (about 8 ha) and Masseria Celentano (about 27 ha), both located near the ancient city of Lucera. Guyot-trained vines are set according to strict production rules that combine the high density of vines per hectare with the very low yield of grapes per plant.

Grapes: Negramaro, Montepulciano, Falanghina, Nero di Troia, Montepulciano, and Bombino Bianco, along with international vines such as Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc.

Viticulture: Organic certification

How many bottles: 200,000 bottles per year

Alberto Longo
One of the most significant wineries in the Lucera area

The company began in 2000, but Alberto Longo's love for his land and passion for wine has much older origins. Since the early 1900s, the Longos have cultivated vineyards and olive groves in the countryside of Lucera and Pietramontecorvino on the hills of northern Daunia at the Masseria Celentano. It was not always like that, however. The Masseria was where poor farmers lived and worked the land of the nobles, getting in return a small piece of what they reaped. The Masseria is where Alberto's parents met and raised Alberto. He took those life lessons on the farm and applied them to school and business- hard work pays off. He bought the Masseria, where life for him began, restored it for his parents, and preserved it as his winery and resort. It is a true life and love story.

Lucera, in the north of Puglia, is an area of ​​very high environmental and historical value. Between the 10th and 3rd centuries BC, the region corresponding to the current province of Foggia hosted the Dauni, an Aegean population who enriched the territory with its culture, legends, and traditions often derived from the Greek civilization.

The 27 hectares of vineyards are adjacent to Masseria Celentano. Alberto Longo founded this splendid winery out of his love for the land and his passion for wine, which combined together gave life to a project of absolute value for its territory of origin, the Daunia. The almost flat vineyards enjoy good ventilation and temperature range thanks to the proximity of the sea and the Gargano. The training system is spurred cordon, the yields are limited, and the grapes are harvested manually. The vineyards undergo periodic green harvests during the growing season and are carefully divided into two lines of wine in the cellar. The production style favors modern, clean, and active wines, with thoughtful use of small woods for the most important reds. Thanks to these devices, Alberto Longo has managed to produce truly unique labels, which are the full expression of the Lucera area; the intense and elegant Cacc'e Mmitte deserves a special mention, capable of bringing a piece of Puglia into the glass. They host both native vines of Negramaro, Montepulciano, Falanghina, and Nero di Troia and international vines such as Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc. From these lands, they obtain the grapes for our Puglia IGT wines. In addition to being the home of the Longo family, the ancient Masseria of the '600 is the place destined to welcome all those who wish to visit the company, get to know the splendid territory of Lucera, and enjoy the traditional cuisine of the Dauno hinterland.

For generations, the Longo family
has dedicated themselves with passion and tenacity to cultivating vines,
intending to enhance the well-suited and ancient district of Daunia, in the Tavoliere delle Puglie.
The cellar is located precisely in the municipality of Lucera, within a renovated nineteenth-century farm
that houses state-of-the-art vinification and aging rooms, confirming that
Apulian wines can be terrior driven while exhibiting elegance.

stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine obtained is kept on the fine lees for three months.
BOTTLES PRODUCED: 14 ​​/ 18,000
ALCOHOL: 12.5% ​​/ 13%
PAIRING: Traditional seafood dishes, second courses based on fish or white meats, medium-aged cheeses.

Apulia is known for its red wines; this is no secret. Alberto has taken this statement and turned it on its ear. His Falanghina is elegant, linear, and easy to drink. Care has been taken to safeguard the variety's floral nuances and clean acidity. Part of this is the soil and location, which has a good degree of weather change from day to evening- cool winds from the sea and from the rising mountain ranges to the north and east. The other part is their huge work in the fields. green selection, careful leaf management, and low-intervention organic farming. Le Fossette is a classic wine that prays to be relished with seafood of all kinds.

VINIFICATION: After a soft squeezing of the destemmed bunches, a short cryomaceration of approximately 4 hours in the tank and static decanting at 0 ° C. Alcoholic fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine obtained is kept on the fine lees for three months.
BOTTLES PRODUCED: 10 / 12,000
ALCOHOL: 12.5% ​​/ 13%
PAIRING: Recommended as an aperitif or paired with snacks and first courses of traditional Italian cuisine.

This beautiful wine exhibits a pale peachy pink color and pretty aromas of raspberry and cranberry. It has a truly gorgeous and very feminine appearance and would look smashing next to salmon canapé or ham and cheese quiche. Donnadele has a lively nose with notes of raspberry, almond blossom, and grapefruit aromas. Donnadele is a tribute to Alberto’s mother Adele. Mrs. Longo is a tried and true Apulian- super hard-working, always beaming, and pleased to help.

with periodic cap submersion, 2 pumping over a day with separation of the seeds, repeated delestage, soft pressing.

After the malolactic fermentation in November, the refinement takes place in concrete tanks for at least 6/8 months and subsequently in the bottle for not less than 6 months.

BOTTLES PRODUCED: 10 / 15,000
ALCOHOL: 14% / 14.50%
PAIRING: Meat-based dishes, furred game, aged hard cheeses.
ALCOHOL: 14. % vol
LONGEVITY: 10+ years

VINIFICATION: Selective manual harvesting in crates, delicate destemming to leave the berries completely intact, maceration and fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature for about 20 days with periodic cap submersion, 2 pumping over a day with separation of the seeds, repeated delestage, soft pressing.

After the malolactic fermentation in November, the refinement takes place in concrete tanks for at least 6/8 months and subsequently in the bottle for not less than 6 months.

BOTTLES PRODUCED: 13 / 15,000 ALCOHOL: 13% / 13.50%

PAIRING: Red meats or delicious and fatty seafood dishes.

"Capoposto" from the Alberto Longo winery is a tasty and decisive red wine perfect for accompanying succulent meats. This label is made with pure grapes of the same name and aged for 6 months in cement and a further 6 months in the bottle. The ruby ​​red color introduces aromas of red pulp fruit while the palate enjoys a juicy and enjoyable glass.

'Capoposto' by Alberto Longo represents an Apulian label that stands out for its soft and round taste, from Negroamaro grapes from a vineyard planted in 2002 on calcareous soil with a clayey-loam texture. The harvest is carried out by hand and is accompanied by a careful selection of the bunches, which are then delicately destemmed and mashed in stainless steel tanks for alcoholic fermentation at a controlled temperature, associated with about 20 days of contact between the must and the skins. Once the malolactic fermentation has also been completely carried out, the wine is transferred to concrete tanks for maturation for at least 6-8 months, followed by a further 6 months of refinement in the bottle before being released on the market.

Intense ruby ​​red is the color of the 'Capoposto' Negroamaro Alberto Longo. Rich and decisive hints of small red fruits, violets, and berries overlap on the nose, supported by delicate echoes of sweet spices. The taste highlights a soft and enveloping body, balanced by juicy freshness and thick though velvety tannins that foreshadow the long fruity finish. By virtue of its organoleptic attributes, this Negroamaro marries exceptionally well with succulent and tasty dishes, such as sausages, ribs, and grilled bacon.

VINIFICATION: Selective manual harvesting in crates, delicate destemming to leave the berries completely intact, maceration and fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature for about 20 days with periodic cap submersion, 2 pumping over a day with separation of the seeds, repeated delestage, soft pressing. Alberto favors prolonged contact of the skins with the must.

Alberto Longo Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera constitutes a typical yet mesmerizing interpretation of this denomination of the Tavoliere delle Puglie. Starting from a blend of the local vines Uva di Troia, Montepulciano and Bombino Bianco. The peculiar dialectal expression " cacc'e mmitte " derives from the ancient winemaking procedure adopted by the peasants of Lucera, who brought their grapes to the millstones of wealthy landowners to work them since they did not have their own equipment. They then rented the millstone by introducing the grapes ( mmitte ) and, in order to save on rent, as soon as fermentation was over, they immediately removed the wine ( cacce ). Essentially ‘press and take’.

The Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera by Alberto Longo comes from a blend of Uva di Troia (55%), Montepulciano (30%), and Bombino Bianco (15%), grapes from vineyards planted in 2002 on calcareous soils with a general sandy texture. Following the manual harvesting and selection of the bunches, delicate destemming is carried out, and the different vines are then vinified separately in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature, with about 20 days of contact between the must and the skins. After soft pressing and the conclusion of malolactic fermentation, the wine is transferred to concrete tanks for at least 6-8 months of maturation, followed by no less than 6 months of refinement in the bottle before release.

The Apulian red wine Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera Alberto Longo is intensely ruby red with violet reflections. Vivid and persistent hints of wild berries and spices describe the characteristic nose. Harmonious, round, and well-structured mouthfeel with a soft and refined tannic texture.

BOTTLES PRODUCED: 13 / 15,000
ALCOHOL: 13% / 13.50%
PAIRING: Red meats or delicious and fatty seafood dishes.