Cataldi Madonna

The winery was founded in 1920 by Baron Luigi Cataldi Madonna, four generations ago. But it was his son Antonio who bottled for the first time in 1975. We arrive in 1990, when his nephew Luigi took over and continued the family project, focusing on the creation of quality wines and, above all, with the aim of valorising the territory and its native vines. Until the beginning of the Nineties, the Cataldi Madonna company worked and produced in absolute solitude in the Ofena wine-growing area which, however, is today recognized as one of the most suitable for viticulture in the entire Abruzzo region. Today the estate is made up of 30 hectares of vineyards, all exclusively cultivated with native and traditional vines such as Montepulciano, Pecorino and Trebbiano, with vineyards positioned between 320 and 440 meters above sea level. The vineyards are located in what is called "il Forno d'Abruzzo", that is, a small plateau of 10 km2 in the shape of an amphitheater whose epicenter is Ofena, in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. It is a "very" particular oven because it lies under the Calderone, the only glacier in the Apennines and the southernmost in our hemisphere: in short, an oven with an adjoining refrigerator. The air that blows from the mountain refreshes the summer days as if a gigantic natural air conditioner were in action and this, of course, is decidedly precious for the perfect ripening of the bunches. In the vineyard, the objective is to protect the varietal aspect of the grapes and, above all, enhance it. In the cellar, the aim is to enhance the typical characteristics of the territory in the wine such as strength, flavor and freshness. These principles have allowed the winery to grow exponentially in recent years, becoming a point of reference for Abruzzo viticulture. Furthermore, all the grapes obtained the Organic Certification in 2016, demonstrating the iron desire to produce quality, healthy wines and at the same time to protect and safeguard the environment for future generations. Today the winery produces over 230,000 bottles per year with a very wide range divided into 4 lines: the Base, the Fundamentals, the Selezioni and Vigneti.