Michele Calò & Figli Winery

Family tradition and artisanal care in the heart of Salento.

Michele Calò Winery is a family-run estate located in Tuglie, Southern Puglia. Founded in the 1970s by Michele Calò — a man deeply rooted in the land and devoted to viticulture — the winery was born from a simple yet powerful idea: great wine begins with profound respect for the territory and the vine. Today, with **35 hectares of estate vineyards**, the winery produces authentic wines that express the essence of Salento, with a special focus on **Negroamaro**, the emblematic grape of Salice Salentino DOC. The winemaking philosophy is artisanal: hand harvesting, careful grape selection, and vinification designed to preserve varietal and territorial identity.

Why Choose Michele Calò

✅ Roots in the 1970s: founded by Michele Calò, a grower with a clear, authentic vision of Salento wine
✅ 35 hectares of owned vineyards: cultivated with Negroamaro, Primitivo, and Malvasia Nera, trained on trellis and bush vines
✅ Salice Salentino DOC as flagship: a sincere, rigorous interpretation of this historic appellation
✅ Artisanal approach: hand-picked grapes, gentle pressing, temperature control, and respectful aging
✅ Functional, modern winery: designed for quality, with temperature-controlled rooms and bottle aging before release

Company Technical Profile

Location:	Tuglie, Lecce, Puglia, Italy
Founder:	Michele Calò
Founded:	1970s
Vineyard area:	35 hectares, fully estate-owned
Main grape varieties:	Negroamaro (predominant), Primitivo, Malvasia Nera
Key appellation:	Alezio DOC
Production:	Full in-house process — from vine to bottle — with bottle aging before release

History and Winemaking Philosophy

The story of Michele Calò & Figli Winery began in the 1970s, when Michele Calò transformed his farming experience into a personal wine project — not driven by market trends, but by conviction: that Salento, with its red soils, Mediterranean climate, and intense sunlight, could produce wines of great character, if cultivated with respect and patience.
The winemaking philosophy has never followed fashion. Every decision — in the vineyard and in the cellar — stems from listening to the land and the grape. Negroamaro, in particular, is interpreted with authenticity: no excess, no artifice — only a focus on its natural structure, soft tannins, and characteristic red-fruit notes. Grapes are hand-harvested; fermentations are temperature-controlled; aging takes place in stainless steel or neutral wood, depending on the wine’s profile. Before release, all wines undergo bottle aging to ensure balance and drinkability.
For Michele Calò, winemaking is not just a profession — it is an act of loyalty to one’s land, a way to pass on, with humility and perseverance, what the past has quietly taught.