Company Description
Macchie Santa Maria is a small winery located in the municipality of Montemiletto, in the province of Avellino, in the heart of the so-called “green Irpinia.” This small town lies on a mountainous ridge that forms a watershed between the valleys of the Calore and Sabato rivers. It is an area with a strong winemaking tradition, thanks to a territory particularly well suited to viticulture and that has increasingly distinguished itself for the quality of its native grape varieties.
It is in this land of springs, green hills, and rushing rivers that Oreste De Santis, taking over an activity that had been carefully managed by his family for decades, transformed a small production intended for only a few people into an authentic expression of the territory, to be shared with a circle of wine enthusiasts beyond the small town of Montemiletto. The cultivation of vines and the production of traditional Campanian wines had already been practiced by his great-grandparents, but the wines were enjoyed only by family members and local residents.
The vineyards, spread over 17 hectares on which the winery stands, are planted exclusively with grape varieties typical of the Campania region: Aglianico, Fiano, Falanghina, and Greco.
It was only in 2010 that Oreste, still very young yet passionate and forward-looking, decided to transform the family activity into a winery capable of vinifying and bottling wines for enthusiasts far from the production area. This marked the official birth of Macchie Santa Maria, a young winery with deep roots in experience and tradition, ready to make a difference.
Oreste has always been deeply passionate about wine, not only in terms of personal taste, but as a symbol of elegance and refinement, and above all as a means of bringing people together and creating connections. A vision of wine that differs from the more traditional perspective—wine as conviviality, as an opportunity for meeting and exchange. His young age and his academic background in Economics have played a decisive role. Starting out at an early age, he now cultivates a dream and a passion that had drawn him in for years, born and nurtured within a family connected to wine for decades.
Today, Oreste personally oversees all stages of production, from harvesting to bottling, with the support of his grandfather—the traditionalist and conservative spirit of the winery—who serves as a guarantor of quality that only a lifetime of experience can provide. The main goal of the winery is to continue producing wines faithful to the long-standing winemaking traditions of the territory, while embracing modern winemaking techniques to ensure quality and optimal preservation, including careful aging processes for the finest wines. All of this is done to enhance products deeply tied to the land and to promote the quality of “Made in Italy” around the world.
Today, Macchie Santa Maria produces approximately 100,000 bottles per year, with a clear focus on quality rather than quantity. Oreste is unequivocal on this point. The winery’s philosophy is simple and precise: great wine is made first in the vineyard, then in the cellar.
The Territory of Irpinia
The municipality of Montemiletto lies within the boundaries of the “green Irpinia”, a territory that encompasses the entire province of Avellino. It is a complex landscape of hills, valleys, and elevations, through which rivers and streams wind, alongside springs and natural oases, interspersed with rugged and dense vegetation.
The soils that host the vineyards of Macchie Santa Maria are clay-limestone in composition and of volcanic origin. Although difficult to work, they confer exceptional organoleptic qualities to the wines.
A typical characteristic of volcanic soils is their high potassium content, which results in grapes with elevated sugar levels, as seen in Greco di Tufo and Aglianico. Another element that contributes significantly to the character of the grapes and the resulting wines is phosphorus. The clay component of the soil, on the other hand, produces wines with higher alcohol content and particularly rich color intensity.
The entire Irpinia area—and specifically the province of Avellino—has great potential, which this winery has been able to recognize and enhance through commitment, patience, and determination
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