Located in the heart of the Salice Salentino DOC area, among endless vineyards and sea breezes drifting inland, Cantine Cantele stands in Guagnano, in the province of Lecce. Here, in one of the regions most naturally suited to viticulture in Puglia, the Cantele family has built over time a winery capable of telling the story of the land through authentic wines and a complete cultural experience.
A family story and his vision
The history of Cantine Cantele begins with a personal journey that long predates the official foundation of the winery. As early as the first decades of the twentieth century, Giovanni Battista Cantele was already involved in the trade of bulk wine between Southern and Northern Italy, gradually building an increasingly strong connection with Puglia and, in particular, with the Salento region.
The decisive moment came in the 1950s, when he and his wife Teresa Manara made a bold and unconventional choice for the time: leaving Northern Italy to settle permanently in the South. At a historical moment marked by migration toward the country’s industrialized areas, the Cantele family undertook what could be described as a true “reverse migration” attracted by the light, landscapes, and still-unexplored potential of Salento.
This bond with the land strengthened over the years and finally took concrete shape in 1979, when the sons Augusto and Domenico, together with their father, officially founded Cantina Cantele in Guagnano.
Their goal was clear: to enhance native Apulian grape varieties and establish local wine as a high-quality product, overcoming the old perception of Salento wines as merely blending wines.
Over the years, the winery has evolved without ever losing touch with its roots. The construction of the new winery in the early 2000s marked another important step forward: a modern space inspired by traditional Apulian masserie, symbolically representing the meeting point between tradition and innovation.
Production: Salento identity with an international outlook
Today, Cantine Cantele manages around 50 hectares of estate-owned vineyards, alongside another 150 hectares under cultivation agreements. The soils, characterized by calcarenitic composition and a breezy Mediterranean climate, create the ideal environment for wine growing.
The leading role in production belongs to native grape varieties — Negroamaro, Primitivo, Susumaniello, Verdeca, and Malvasia Bianca — which find some of their finest expressions here. Alongside these, Chardonnay demonstrates how international varieties can also achieve remarkable complexity thanks to the unique soil and climate conditions of Salento.
The winery’s portfolio is broad and diverse: from fresher, more approachable labels in the entry-level range to structured wines with great aging potential. Among the most representative collections is the “Teresa Manara” line, a tribute to the family matriarch, featuring elegant and profound interpretations of Negroamaro, Primitivo, and Chardonnay.
Alongside these, labels such as Amativo — a blend of Negroamaro and Primitivo — as well as the Fanòi and Rohesia lines, showcase the winery’s ability to move between tradition and innovation, creating wines that speak both the language of the territory and that of the international wine scene.
Winery experiences: the iSensi project
Cantine Cantele is not only about wine production, but also about cultural and sensory experiences. A perfect example is the iSensi project, a synesthetic laboratory that represents the winery’s most creative and contemporary soul.
iSensi is a dynamic, multifunctional space where wine becomes the common thread connecting experiences that engage all the senses. Guided tastings, creative workshops, artistic events, cooking classes, literary gatherings, and live music all come together in an environment designed to stimulate perception and sharing.
The approach is intentionally unconventional: every activity is tailor-made, without standardized routes, with the aim of offering an authentic and immersive experience. Visitors are not mere spectators, but active participants in a story that combines wine, art, and territory.
Wine as a storytelling tool for the territory
Today, Cantine Cantele represents a benchmark in the Apulian wine landscape thanks to a perfect balance between family tradition, innovation, and cultural openness. From the enhancement of native grape varieties to the sensory experimentation of iSensi, every aspect of the winery contributes to telling the story of Salento in an authentic and contemporary way.
More than just a winery, Cantele is a place where wine becomes a universal language: a means of expressing identity, memory, and vision. A story that continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in the land that made it possible.
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