The history of this model Puglian estate mirrors that of the province, being built on the foundations of olive groves, grape growing and a limestone bedrock. Paolo Benegiamo’s medical family have owned the 100-hectare L’Astore Masseria property near Cutrofiano on the Salento peninsula since the 1930s, but it was not until 2005, with the demise of the bulk market, that their first commercial label came out. Bottle production of 80,000 per year is now at twothirds of capacity, focusing on the indigenous varieties Negroamaro, Primitivo and Malvasia Bianca. They have been certified organic since 2010.