Location
The Estate is located in the municipality of Benevento,
more precisely in Contrada Monte Pino,
the largest of the eight hills surrounding the city,
at the slopes of Mount Taburno. The vineyards lie at an altitude of around 400 meters above sea level and stretch along a single southeast-facing slope, covering a total of 12 hectares.
Microclimatic Characteristics
The hilly area of Monte Pino is surrounded by the carbonate massifs of the Taburno-Camposauro and Avella-Partenio ranges, located to the northwest and southwest, respectively. This orographic setting plays a decisive and determining role in shaping the microclimatic characteristics of our vineyards. Annual rainfall averages around 800 millimeters, with the rainiest months being November, December, and January, while the summer period is typically dry. The trend of average monthly temperatures is typical of Mediterranean and foothill hill areas like the Sannio region, ranging from 13–14°C in April (the coolest month) to around 24°C in August (the warmest month).
Since the 2000s, however, there has been a significant increase in average monthly temperatures compared to the previous two decades (source: Campania Region Weather Data). This phenomenon, combined with changes in the monthly distribution of rainfall, is leading to a moderate “tropicalization” of the territory.
Agronomic Characteristics
The production site in the Monte Pino area is characterized by loamy soils, where the clay fraction is well-developed and draining, rich in limestone and abundant in mineral substances such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The morphology of the land, marked by moderate slopes, leads to the choice of planting rows following the “rittochino” layout, which helps manage water runoff while reducing the risks of erosion and landslides. The vineyards are trained using the double Guyot system, ensuring a proper balance between vegetative growth and fruit production.
All these elements make the wines we produce from Contrada Monte Pino original, unique, and devoted to high quality.
The Family
While the foundations of the manor house and various historical references suggest a late medieval origin, a clear inscription on the main arch of the façade confirms that it was “built” in 1825 under Church ownership. Used as a bishop’s residence, the Estate was already well known at the time for its winemaking tradition and for promoting the native fruit and vegetable products of the Taburno area. It is within this context that the roots and early story of the Catalano Family began to take shape.
The turning point came in 1910, when Ferdinando Catalano, at just 17 years old, decided to leave for New York, a city then known for its dynamism and economic prosperity. After 10 years of hard work, driven by memories of a joyful life among the green vineyards of his beloved Monte Pino, Ferdinando decided to return to his origins. It was 1923 when the Estate officially passed into the hands of the Catalano Family.
Since then, the family has passed down, from generation to generation, first under the guidance of Ferdinando’s son Giovanni, and later his granddaughter Elena and her husband Maurizio, a deep-rooted culture and passion for Sannio’s viticulture and food and wine traditions. This heritage lives on in the daily dedication to the local products, especially the historic grape varieties of the Sannio-Taburno area (Aglianico, Falanghina, and Coda di Volpe), which have defined the family’s century-long role as suppliers of high-quality grapes to local wineries.
Today, the new generation, represented by Elena, has built on this experience and, convinced of the potential to further enhance the territorial identity of their production, has chosen to begin vinifying and bottling wines at the source, for both national and international markets.
With the guidance of the oenologist Alessio Macchia, the winery’s consultant, Elena has embraced winemaking methods aimed at maximizing the noble qualities of the region’s native grapes.
This journey led to the 2013 harvest, which marked the official launch of the Elena Catalano Vini brand.
Our Philosophy
In this journey, we have committed ourselves to continue treating our estate as an oasis, one where the pace is dictated by the natural rhythms of the plants, not by the obsession with productivity or profit, anticipating today’s growing awareness of sustainability.
We have chosen to care for our vineyards as if they were a garden, “raising” healthy vines above all, without forcing production at the expense of quality. We have stayed true to this approach by keeping yields below one kilogram per plant and prioritizing manual work in the vineyard to avoid using harmful substances for both the plants and the surrounding environment. Our goal is to preserve the natural balance, both vegetative and productive, that nature has gifted us.
From an oenological perspective, the company is committed to blending tradition with innovation, combining centuries of experience with the use of modern technologies. We conduct experimental micro-vinifications in order to continue studying and understanding our wines, their evolution and potential, with the aim of achieving the best possible expression of each grape variety in a contemporary, forward-thinking style.
