Our Story
Sometimes certain businesses are born out of fun. And for fun...Beppe di Maria came up with the idea of creating Carvinea. After a life as an entrepreneur in the world of cars, but always passionate about the world of wines, in 2000, Beppe was wandering around the countryside of Carovigno, in the upper Salento and fell in love with the ancient Masseria Pezze d'Arena. He informed himself, and within a short time he decided to buy it and plant vineyards in the land surrounding it.
The Challenge
In the Middle Ages, Carovigno was called Carvinea, from the Greek Karbina, the frugifera: bearer of fruit. Its lands warmed by the sun and sea breezes were already known in ancient times for their particularly tasty and juicy fruits.
But to produce quality wine, nature is not enough, human care is needed in every phase of the transformation. And tradition is not enough, it is necessary to keep up with science and innovation. The most important challenge for Carvinea was precisely that of containing the exuberance and robust body that naturally arises from that magnificent grape, instead enhancing its less flashy and more elegant notes and aromas.
Passion
As a winemaker he seeks out Riccardo Cotarella who immediately warns him about the need to have a lot of patience, because a few years would not have been enough to make excellent quality wines. It is the beginning not only of a fruitful collaboration, but of a true friendship that lasts for twenty years now. An authentic partnership between two men united by a passion: great wines.
Masseria Pezze d'Arena
The Masseria...the beating heart of Carvinea. Everything originates from the ancient structure in the Carovigno countryside that Beppe purchased in 2000. Pezze d'Arena is a characteristic courtyard farmhouse that belonged to the Dentice di Frasso princes which developed around a small sixteenth-century agricultural house. After a long and careful restoration, the ancient tuffs returned to their splendor in 2007. In the meantime, new vineyards are planted around the walls following very strict regulations: the land is dug up, fertilized and left to rest, then the wild cuttings are planted which will only be grafted with the native varieties after a year.
When I met the oenologist Riccardo Cotarella he told me: "To make great wines you need a lot, a lot of patience, it's not a question of two or three years..." I replied: "I'm in no hurry!" It was the beginning not only of a fruitful collaboration but the beginning of a true friendship that has lasted for twenty years; an authentic partnership between men united by a common immense passion: great wines. - Beppe di Maria
The Logo
The current Carvinea logo represents the 3 arches of the Masseria Pezze d'Arena, immediately visible from the entrance to the courtyard.
The Vineyards
For the production of our wines, the slowest and most complex regulations have been adopted, both in the treatment of the land and in the planting of the vines - with a sixth of planting of 4000 vines per hectare - and in the maintenance of the vineyard, mainly done by hand.
This careful work allows us to produce perfectly healthy grapes that allow the most complete expression of each variety. The quantity produced also reflects this orientation: only one bottle of wine per vine.
Land suited to viticulture, research and development in the vineyard and in the cellar: this is how the elegance of a wine is born, hidden in every grape and in the expert hands of those who know takes care of it.
The Advantages of Passion
With passion, starting from scratch, having a lot of patience and continuing to update: this is necessary to produce great wines. This is why Carvinea feels like an "Instant Classic", a contemporary classic.
