Reflecting on the recently changing wine market trends – inspired also by the article written by Giancarlo Gariglio “Wine fashion is causing more damage than storm” published by the movement Slow Food at the beginning of 2024, is pushing us to share our view: producing organic craft wines, that join structure and freshness or also “smooth” drinkability.
Mr.Gariglio points out how wine industry in years was subject to various styles and tastes, that can also generate confusion among producers and consumers. Such evolution is risking to divert the attention from traditional enology practice, real and sustainable, pushing towards productions that are more standardized, less respectful to environment, taste and tradition.
In this background of changes, Santa Lucia Wine Farm has chosen to remain tightly linked to the basic values inspired by the words of a world-level Italian: Osko Gravner, wine maker in Oslavia (GO), mentioned by Mr Gariglio: “I produce wines the can satisfy my taste and my family one”. This principle kept intact the production path in his farm, focused on quality and essence of wines rather than tendencies. Gravner is now mythical, but almost all ouselves “small producers” can afford to follow our way, respecting our own climate, territory, altitude, etc. Whoever, instead, produces many many bottles, often can not ignore the dominant taste and market trend, to avoid the loss of management balance. In other words, his own survival.

Therefore, ourselves’ “small producers” strategy takes root in Puglia territory with its special print in red wines; with an unshakable commitment to organic wine production, which is not the one of the so-mentioned natural wines, without added sulphites and selected yeasts, organically pure. Each bottle made by a small producer, serious and of good quality, is a novel that joins producers work and the work of all collaborators, to the peculiarities of their territory. That in Italy is really wide and generous!
The integration of innovation and tradition typify Santa Lucia wines production, from vineyard cares to cellar organic work. This choice in not a reaction to tendencies, but rather the expression of a long-term view based on grapes choice, their growing – at least twenty-years long – and respect for the environment.
Back to fashion, we lived the ’80 with the light, almost transparent whites, that have made history anyway: from capsule color, to a famous social winery of Itria Valley that brought Puglia all over the world, so as the best Salice Salentino.
In the ’90 there was the triumph of some “novelli” wines as well as some tannic and structured wines, with massive use of barrique, so that the influence of wood and of one of the most famous USA wines critic [ndr: The Wine Advocate] has sometimes generated wines made to be appreciated by the dominant critic, as well by his readers, when awarded with high-sounding press scores above 93-94/100.
In the third millennium “natural”wines were born (improper definition since only grape is natural, wine in nature does not exist: all wines are the result of man work). Orange wines, rosé spumante wines, the pas dosé bubbles, often with little contact with yeasts respect the long fermentations announced. Badness? No, excellent wines also, but certainly “fashionable”, with no intention to offend with this term. Probably wine is by itself not very much “fashionable”, but rather historical drink, if not epical? We like to think and drink it good, clean, even simple, like pasta with fresh tomato when it is well made, if mother nature allows it!
In Santa Lucia Wineyards we humbly believe that the key of success is in the ability to create wines that reflect their own uniqueness. History, land, passion: undisputed protagonists of any creation, including oenological ones.
We look at the future being sure that, even if fashion can be changing, passing fads, an essential constant is quality with freshness and drinkability. The choice of keeping producing organic and artisanal native wines is our technical, environmental and gustatory answer. Above all the long work in time and years of those who produce it. Being born in 1822 is not enough, we need to evolve and take what is good of both tradition and technology!