Alberto Longo

In the Adriatic-influenced landscape of the historic Puglia region, Alberto Longo tends 35 hectares of indigenous varieties, which yield rustic and exceptionally balanced wines.

Alberto grew up between Puglia’s vines. He spent his childhood and adolescence working lands that three generations of the Longo family have farmed since the early 1900s. And even after leaving to pursue an education and professional career, he simply couldn’t escape his love for that historic property. So he returned with a rekindled desire to broadcast its greatness in bottle form.

To begin, he contacted his good friend and Italian winemaking legend, Giacomo Tachis, the father of Super Tuscan wines. In his 60s at the time, Tachis wasn’t taking on new projects, but he connected Longo to his protégé, Graziana Grassini, a distinguished winemaker in her own right. The team established winemaking operations in a renovated 19th-century farmhouse that’d been outfitted with modern winemaking technology—and has continued to expand ever since.

The vineyards span two adjacent farms: Fattoria Cavalli and Masseria Celentano. Both are situated near Lucera, an area rich in history, containing some of the earliest Southern Italian Roman settlements. Here, Longo’s team farms densely planted, low-yielding indigenous varieties using organic practices.

Grassini bases the wines on those varieties—primarily Primitivo, Negroamaro, Falanghina, and Nero di Troia—although she has started incorporating some international varieties as well. Whether it’s their lineup of reds, whites, or sparkling wines, Agricole Alberto Longo seeks to produce well-structured wines, with distinct freshness and fruit purity.