The story continued in the 1990s, when his nephew Giulio and his wife Nunziatina decided to transform into a modern family-run business what has always been, is and will continue to be, essentially an art handed down from generation to generation: the production of Montepulciano d' Abruzzo D.O.C. Di Stefano, a strong and gentle, robust and fruity red wine, praised today by people from capitals, cities and countries of many nations.
Our story begins way back in 1895 when Giulio Di Stefano, first an artisan on Argentinian soil and then a gold prospector in Alaska, decided to return to his homeland and acquire land devoted to the cultivation of wheat and vines. Don Giulio, a person of ingenuity and charisma, produced enough wine to barter it for other goods and works of art in the inter-war period.
The story continued in the 1990s, when his nephew Giulio and his wife Nunziatina decided to transform into a modern family-run business what has always been, is and will continue to be, essentially an art handed down from generation to generation: the production of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo D.O.C. Di Stefano, a strong and gentle, robust and fruity red wine, praised today by people from capitals, cities and countries of many nations.
Quality, from this word comes the project of Cantine Di Stefano s.r.l. Our vineyards, located in a hilly position near the coastal area, enjoy a happy south-eastern exposure. The sea breeze caresses our hills and plains, which are used for the production of Pecorino and Trebbiano white wines.
The new generation of vineyards covers 20 hectares of pergolas and rows, planted together with grandfather and grandson Luigi and daily monitored and cultivated by Giulio himself. The turgid bunches become DOC red and rosé wines, white Pecorino and Trebbiano IGT wines. The best vintages meet the Slavonian oak barrels, where they spend 12 to 18 months before becoming Montepulciano Don Giulio and refining in the bottle for six months.
Our success begins with taking care of our vines, care that is reflected in the goodness of their wines. The harvesting of the grapes is entrusted to a team of expert hands that also carry out the selection of the grapes, while the vinification process is entrusted entirely to the Di Stefano family, who, under the supervision of oenologists, strictly follow protocols respecting parameters and temperatures. Hard work carried out with passion, the result of which is a family wine of the highest level, far from the industrial standards of large productions. Cantine Di Stefano in fact only vinifies grapes selected from its own vineyards, does not cut its wines and reduces the use of sulphites to a minimum.
Marketing, a big word these days! By choice, we have decided not to invest in participation for the sake of awards and recognition. For us, the best recognition is the judgement and loyalty of a clientele attentive to the choice of our wines, combined with the conquest of new markets. Our marketing choice, bold and innovative at a time when, in addition to product quality, only inventiveness and originality are rewarded, consists in reaching our customers preferably directly through warehouses, import licences and our own sales outlets both in Italy and abroad. Dialogue with the end customer and our presence in the territory have certainly favoured our brand, enabling us to interface with luxury restaurants and wealthy customers even in Russian-speaking areas. Last but not least, the combination with the gastronomic products of our area, which is useful for a better interpretation and understanding of our wines, results in a winning formula for exporting a Made in Italy product that is now considered by our public as luxury production or simply, superfood.
The Di Stefano Family
The Di Stefano family has always been involved in wine, ever since their great-grandparents produced enough wine to barter it for other foods.
And ever since Giulio, with the active collaboration of his family, chose to devote himself full-time to this project.
A courageous choice, dictated by his love for his vineyards. In fact, thanks to the favourable south-east exposure and the sea breeze that caresses our hillsides, the vineyards of Cantine Di Stefano produce quality grapes: creating the winery was the only way to take full advantage of the characteristics of the vineyards, follow the 'supply chain' directly, and leave the judgement of the final result to the enthusiasts.
Quality: from this word comes the history and project of Cantine Di Stefano.
We take care of our vines, care that is reflected in the goodness of their wines.
From here the story is a short one, in 2005, from the places of production that are distinguished by their uniqueness, where saying the word 'typical' is not enough to describe this generous territory. The turgid bunches become MONTALFANO red wines DOC - PECORINO IGT HISTONIUM - CERASUOLO DOC and LA RISERVA DON GIULIO