San Salvatore 1988: From Magna Grecia to the heart of Italy, where time slows down

san_salvatore.peppe_pagano_in_paestum.jpg — San Salvatore 19988's owner Peppe Pagano in Paestum

(Image credit: San Salvatore 19988's owner Peppe Pagano in Paestum)

Published 6 January 2022 In Features

3000 years ago, the Greeks planted Aglianico and Greco grapes in Campania, in the heart of southern Italy, where San Salvatore 1988 comes from.

Discovering this winery means exploring the Cilento region, from the ancient city of Paestum all the way up to up the Giungano hills, where the mountains seem to touch the sky. This is where you will find the Grand Cru site of Stio, whose vines deliver wines of great structure and elegance.

San_salvatore.vineyard_of_stio_1.jpg — The Stio vineyard.

San Salvatore 1988 makes wines that are long-lived and preserve the memory of the terroirs they hail from, full of the oenological wealth that only these lands carry.

“Kalokagathia” is a word that comes from the Ancient Greek and means “Good and Beautiful”. This is the key to understanding San Salvatore 1988. Care for the land, respect for agricultural traditions, innovation, ethics, and sustainability all values that co-exist here. A biogas plant and three photovoltaic stations allow the company to be energetically self-sufficient, with minimal environmental impact.

The land must be cared for, even before it is cultivated. Traditions are respected and natural rhythms are followed in an eternal dance between man and nature that results in San Salvatore 1988’s wines:

Pian di Stio 2018

100% Fiano from a cru site at 650 metres altitude. Certified organic.

Straw yellow with hints of chlorophyll green. A wine that seduces with delicate floral notes and aromas of Mediterranean scrub. Elegant, with a deep and persistent taste on the palate. Good ageing potential, with great aromatic development ahead.

Elea 2018

An elegant, structured, and meditative Greco, like the terroir it hails from. 10% fermented in French oak barriques. Bright golden yellow colour and intense bouquet, with aromas of citrus, apple and broom. Elegant and very linear structure.

Homage to Gillo Dorfles 2016

Aglianico Riserva dedicated to a 20th century Italian genius who loved Paestum and its history. With its ruby colour and violet tinges, this is a serious red wine, aged in French oak barriques for 24 months. It aims to win you over from the first glass, but also to defy the passage of time. Just like Gillo Dorfles.