Rivera

However, in the 1940s the de Corato family recovered a completely different kind of treasure: old, native grape varieties, which were already starting to die out. Carlo de Corato, the founder of the Rivera winery, was a firm believer in the potential of such native varieties as Nero di Troia, Primitivo and Bombino nero, among others; and all this in a time when Puglia did not even merit a mention in the quality maps of Italian or overseas wine connoisseurs. His determination paid off: today the family – Carlo de Corato works side by side with his sons Marco and Sebastiano – are reaping the rewards of their 75 hectares of vines.