The ALBEA cellar (from Alberobello's historic name) was built early in the 1900s and the present construction took more than two years of careful work, given the unique architectural requests made by the former owner, Luigi Lippolis. The structure is entirely constructed in stone, with the wine vats set into the rock in the same manner used to install water supply tanks for the "trulli" dwellings. The cellar fits perfectly into the beautiful surrounding and the elegant and sober interior architecture is reminiscent of a mosque, with star vaults that merge into the overhead supporting pillars, formed by overlapping rock.
Alberobello, nominated as part of UNESCO's universal heritage of humanity, is not only that splendid site that is known the world over for a typical construction called "trullo" and for the variegated surrounding countryside, but is also and chiefly a rural centre of great significance, where over the centuries the cultivation of top quality vines has prevailed.
Amongst the most precious Apulian grapes to be produced in the Alberobello district and which are delivered to Cantina ALBEA, we find the fruits of autochthonous vines like Negroamaro, Primitivo di Manduria, Primitivo di Gioia, Locorotondo D.O.C., as well as more recently installed vines including Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Montepulciano. Thus top quality vines, which assure production of wines of high standards and undisputed merits that represent Apulia very well even on a vast and multiform national wine-making horizon.
Cantina ALBEA, one of this territory's oldest and most accredited wineries, stands as an important example of how it is quite possible to reconcile production realities of modern philosophy with classical structures of industrial archaeology which in our modest opinion, are more suitable for hosting and producing noble wines like those produced in the Alberobello district.
The production is duly managed by the Italian most famous wine-maker Riccardo Cotarella, who collaborate with the Cantina ALBEA's oenologist Claudio Sisto, following vineyards, vintages, fermentation and ageing.
The results are excellent and the quality/price ratio is very good.
In just two years of the ALBEA cellar's ownership by the Renzini Group the effort to produce great wines was rewarded with the most important Italian prizes: Gambero Rosso, Veronelli, Bibenda, Luca Maroni.