A white that changed the rules

Some stories begin even before they have a name. This Chardonnay was born in the early ’90s, when white wines in Puglia were merely an afterthought, something fleeting, unpretentious. It wasn’t the right place, they said. The climate wasn’t suitable. Yet, Augusto Cantele had a different idea.

The first step was an experiment: fermenting it in barrique, as was done in renowned white wine regions. The second step was to put it to the test. Before the label, before the dedication, this Chardonnay was sent abroad under a different name, to those who could recognize a great white. The idea worked. In 1999, it finally became Teresa Manara Chardonnay, a tribute to his mother, the woman who had seen further, who had encouraged the family to dare.

In the glass, you can taste the mark of that challenge. The oak caresses without overpowering, the structure is deep, and the freshness keeps everything in balance. A white that doesn’t follow time, but moves through it. It wasn’t born to amaze, but to endure. The first Chardonnay in barrique ever produced in Puglia, the first white to demand to be truly heard. Today, it’s not just a family story. It’s a cornerstone. A wine that opened a path and continues to tell that story, sip by sip.