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The Rivera estate is located near Andria, in the heart of the "Castel del Monte" D.O.C., in Apulia. The appellation takes its name from the splendid and enigmatic castle built by Emperor Frederick II at the beginning of the 13th century. Frederick, a refined intellectual of humanistic culture, loved this land so much that he was called "Puer Apuliae" or "Son of Apulia". This area is known for the characteristic plateau of tufaceous and calcareous soil known as "Le Murge". Here the vine has been flourishing since the times of Magna Grecia. Centuries of experimentation and selection have developed indigenous varieties that are perfectly suited to the local terroir and have great enological potential: Nero di Troia, Montepulciano, Aglianico, Bombino and Pampanuto.

Giuseppe De Corato bought the large estate named Rivera over 100 years ago, and soon afterward replanted it with vines and olives. Sebastiano De Corato, Giuseppe's son, founded the Azienda Vinicola Rivera in the early 1950s. His goal was to show the world the enormous winegrowing potential of the area. The old cellar was reconstructed, the vineyards were renewed, and a new bottling plant was built. His son Carlo later joined Sebastiano and together they started experimenting and introducing non-indigenous grapes such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon. A long phase of testing the adaptability of such northern varieties to torrid Apulia was necessary. The venture ultimately led to very successful results. The inclusion of such varietals in the "Castel del Monte" D.O.C. disciplinary represented an important step for Rivera and for Apulian viticulture as a whole. Carlo's son, Sebastiano, recently joined his father in the management of the estate.


Sebastiano and Carlo De Corato
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