Casale del Giglio

Founded in 1967 by Dino Santarelli in Le Ferriere di Aprilia, in an Agro Pontino then completely unexplored from a winemaking standpoint, Casale del Giglio has built its identity on experimentation. In 1985 Dino and his son Antonio, together with winemaker Paolo Tiefenthaler and a group of ampelographers and university researchers, planted 57 experimental Italian and international grape varieties, a research project still ongoing. The research has also allowed the rediscovery of near-extinct native Lazio varieties, such as Bellone di Anzio, Biancolella di Ponza and Cesanese, now grown alongside Chardonnay, Viognier, Petit Verdot and Shiraz. Every year the estate opens its winery for the Festa della Vendemmia (Harvest Festival), an event that has become a tradition for enthusiasts and the curious at the end of the harvest.