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In the Salento region of Puglia in Southern Italy, the enterprising Francesco Candido turned over 250 hectares of marshes into a vineyard in 1929. He created a winery in San Donaci to produce wine, which was initially offered for bulk purchase. But in 1957, he started bottling them under the Candido name, becoming one of the first businesses in the area to do so.
This cleared the door for the acceptance of Puglian wines and the realisation that this region in the heel of Italy could make fine wines. Francesco's son Alessandro Candido has been in charge of the business since 1978, and it is still family-owned.
It now operates on a global scale, producing over a million bottles annually, 60% of which are exported. Alessandro carried on his father's inventiveness.
The magnificent Cappello di Prete, the only wine from Puglia featured in the renowned book "1001 Wines You Must Try Before You Die" by Neil Beckett, was his 1997 release and the first Salento 100% Negroamaro.
Negroamaro, Primitivo, Malvasia Nera, Aleatico, Susumaniello, and Fiano are among the indigenous grapes planted on 140 hectares of land, along with a small amount of Montepulciano, Syrah, and Chardonnay.
Francesco Candido creates a portfolio of cutting-edge wines by skillfully fusing heritage with contemporary technology.
The Ionian and Adriatic oceans that border Puglia's longest coastline on the Italian peninsula provide a steady breeze for the region's bright Mediterranean environment. Low rainfall, medium-textured clayey-calcareous rich soils, and pronounced diurnal variation are also present.
All of this results in the ideal environment for grape cultivation, which results in wines with powerful aromas and flavours that are full of concentration. Wines from Francesco Candido are lavish and fruit-forward, bursting with the warmth of Puglia, and provide outstanding value.
Francesco Candido
