The beginnings
On 2 February 1960 a group of 25 farmers coordinated by Luca Gentile decided to join a cooperative in order to enhance the local grapes. Thus, in the area close to the Murgia of Bari, Cantina Sociale of Cassano delle Murge was born.
Its name has now changed in Cantina Luca Gentile in the name of its founder and farsighted president for over thirty years. Currently the plant that stands on an area of 8,000 square meters, welcomes the grapes of neighbouring municipalities from about 500 members wine-growers. It has a processing potential of 6,000,000 kg of grapes and a storage capacity of wines of lt. 5,450,000.
There are currently 400 members wine-growers in the cooperative with a production of excellent grapes. Modern techniques are employed in the wine-making process with controlled temperatures during fermentation and with a modern bottling plant. The wines are vinified in vitrified cement vats at controlled temperatures. In the range there are wines fermented and then matured in small oak barriques.
Our territory
The production area, with a strong wine vocation, has a calcareous soil (rich in mineral salts and poor in water) combined with the typical alberello and espalier forms of vines which produce high quality grapes. Cantina Luca Gentile and most of its members’ vineyards are located in the D.O.C. “Gioia del Colle” area of the homonymous “Primitivo” typical autochthonous variety.
Salvador Dalì
The connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes its secrets.
Cantina Gentile
Timeline
THE SOCIAL CELLAR IS BORN
On 2 February 1960 a group of 25 farmers coordinated by Luca Gentile decided to join a cooperative in order to enhance the local grapes. In April 1960, a further 175 members joined, including residents in the neighbouring municipalities of Acquaviva, Santeramo Grumo appula and Bari. The area declared on 6 April 1960 by the 202 members, is over 260 hectares for a declared production of about 20,000 quintals (Production 75 / quintals hectare)in the types of Primitivo (red grapes), white and muscat (white grapes).
1960
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
The construction of the original core of the winery begins with a capacity of around 20000 hectolitres.
1960
Purchasing machinery
In the first months of 1961, the minutes that determine the procedural guidelines for the purchase of machinery and the request for a first mortgage for land improvement to be forwarded to the National Consortium for Agricultural Credit to meet the initial costs of construction and purchase of machinery.
1961
VINARY TOWER PROJECT
In March 1964, because of the growing demand for new lending partners, an expansion was planned so as to avoid further costs for renting new wine vessels.
The engineer Mr Milella was commissioned to prepare a general project to bring the winery to a greater capacity of about 15,000 quintals of wine. The project also includes the construction of the Wine Tower, the first example of a modern Winemaker - draining machine
PROJECT
Patented Sernagiotto but adopted by most of the Consortium cooperatives in Apulia (upon payment of a royalty) to meet both the demand for greater accommodation capacity and the need to determine greater savings on the costs of processing the wine product, as well as better safety conditions for workers.
The project will not be the only one in these years, but further interventions on the winery's technological park will be planned.
From the purchase of new crusher- stemmer instead of the original one, a continuous drainer-press instead of the old presses, the third discharge for a new pressing island, and transfer pumps for musts and wines.
1964
5 Star Wines Award 2016
Premio vinto dal nostro ``Grava 2012`` Gioia del Colle Primitivo DOP
2016
Silver Medal 2016
Challenge International `Révélateur de Talents` | Silver Medal 2016. Premio vinto dal nostro vino `Turitto 2011` Gioia del Colle Rosso DOP
