History

Our family has inhabited the lands of Leverano, in the heart of Salento, for five centuries. We have always listened to the land, understood it, and made it fruitful. In the early 1900s, we succeeded in completing the full production cycle from cultivation to vinification of the grapes from our estates, without ever altering the delicate balances of the place. Over time, the identity of people and place has overlapped, binding memory and nature together. A harmonious correspondence made of passion and respect, guarded with the calmness and discretion of those committed to doing things with care.

1580
1884
1935
1940s
1990s
2001
2010
2010s
2017
2019
2021
Francesco Antonio Zecca, agricultural entrepreneur of Neapolitan origin, moves to the fertile lands of Salento.
For the propulsive role played in the development of the territory, the Zecca family transitions from notable to noble in June 1884, when Pope Leo XIII confers the Count title upon Giuseppe Zecca.

Alcibiade Zecca founds a modern and efficient winery in Leverano.

Giuseppe, Alcibiade’s son, reforms the metayage system, modernizes the winery and acquires the necessary machinery for the independent management of the entire production cycle.

Giuseppe entrusts the management of the company to his sons Alcibiade, Francesco, Luciano and Mario. Conti Zecca becomes a full-fledged brand, increasingly opening up to both national and international markets.

Nero debuts (with the 1998 vintage), a result of the collaboration between the Zecca brothers and their oenologist Antonio Romano with the consulting oenologist Giorgio Marone; it soon becomes an iconic wine for the company and for the whole Puglia.

The company wine shop opens, serving not only as a retail space but also as a place to deepen knowledge about the wine world.

Under the guidance of agronomist Ruggero Mazzilli, the company, always attentive to respectful vineyard management, systematically adopts integrated farming practices.

The Zecca brothers are joined in running the company by Mario’s son, Clemente.

A sorting table is introduced for a second manual selection of grapes in the cellar, following the one in the vineyard. In addition, cutting-edge technologies such as a new press and a destemming machine have helped us to refine the work in the cellar.

We have introduced new materials, such as terracotta and cocciopesto, to refine the winemaking process, continually seeking authenticity derived from the inherent qualities of the fruit.

Our identity

A recognizable wine,
a recognizable company
Our company mission translates concretely into producing a wine that is an authentic and honest interpreter of the territory, having a well-recognizable identity that cannot be replicated elsewhere.

Our company mission translates concretely into producing a wine that is an authentic and honest interpreter of the territory, having a well-recognizable identity that cannot be replicated elsewhere.

We aim to achieve this goal:

  • minimizing human intervention in the vineyard to preserve its balance;
  • managing the soil according to integrated farming practices, such as fertilization with organic compost, cover crop with barley and clover and mulching;
  • respecting the characteristics of the grape variety also in the cellar with winemaking practices that preserve its essence;
  • promoting our uniqueness locally and internationally, bridging the consumer to the world of wine, not just as a consumer good but as part of our culture.
Although current knowledge and competencies allow a grape variety to grow in various geographical and microclimatic contexts, the soul and character of the wine we produce cannot be replicated elsewhere. Wine is not just a mere product of grape transformation; it arises from a symphony of factors that combine and make it a direct expression of the terroir of origin. We use the French term ‘terroir’ because it conveys an evocative power beyond its literal meaning. This expression does not exclusively refer to the combination of microclimate and characteristics of the grape and soil but implies a bond that wine has with the environment and surrounding conditions, including a fundamental element: the human factor. As winemakers, our task is to listen, understand and interpret the land to create a wine that reflects the production area and our identity as a company and individuals.
With solid roots and a long history, we have the ambitious goal of being bearers of beauty, authenticity, and environmental and ethical sustainability. We maintain our gaze toward the future, ensuring that our work doesn’t end immediately but has positive effects for those who come after us.
Although current knowledge and competencies allow a grape variety to grow in various geographical and microclimatic contexts, the soul and character of the wine we produce cannot be replicated elsewhere. Wine is not just a mere product of grape transformation; it arises from a symphony of factors that combine and make it a direct expression of the terroir of origin. We use the French term ‘terroir’ because it conveys an evocative power beyond its literal meaning. This expression does not exclusively refer to the combination of microclimate and characteristics of the grape and soil but implies a bond that wine has with the environment and surrounding conditions, including a fundamental element: the human factor. As winemakers, our task is to listen, understand and interpret the land to create a wine that reflects the production area and our identity as a company and individuals.

We aim to achieve this goal:

  • minimizing human intervention in the vineyard to preserve its balance;
  • managing the soil according to integrated farming practices, such as fertilization with organic compost, cover crop with barley and clover and mulching;
  • respecting the characteristics of the grape variety also in the cellar with winemaking practices that preserve its essence;
  • promoting our uniqueness locally and internationally, bridging the consumer to the world of wine, not just as a consumer good but as part of our culture.
With solid roots and a long history, we have the ambitious goal of being bearers of beauty, authenticity, and environmental and ethical sustainability. We maintain our gaze toward the future, ensuring that our work doesn’t end immediately but has positive effects for those who come after us.
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sustainability

In a world that changes rapidly, we learn to navigate and confront the course of events without being overwhelmed. Our response to the challenges posed in an increasingly complex society is to maintain a conscious and proactive attitude, carrying forward our vision of agriculture. This vision is not only tied to the production of agri-food goods but is also understood as a responsibility toward the territory, where the various dimensions of sustainability – environmental, economic and social – integrate and mutually nourish each other.

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In addition to being a reflection of a territory, wine is also a litmus test for the vintage in which it is produced, narrating, even over time, the climatic conditions of that specific year. One of the most pressing issues we face today as winemakers is the climate emergency, manifested primarily in increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather events. Instead of passively adapting to these changes, the contribution we can give is to try to mitigate their effects by implementing active defense strategies in the vineyard.

• We know our vineyards plot by plot: we adapt the farming practices according to the micro-climatic conditions, the grape variety, the soil composition. Like a tailor sews a custom-made suit, we customize vineyard treatments based on the plants’ specific needs.

• We never intervene forcefully: our approach is respectful and discreet, aiming to safeguard the integrity and fertility of the soil or, at the very least, give it back what we take away.

• We implement integrated farming strategies: the purpose is to strengthen plants, enhancing their resilience to stress factors.

• We protect biodiversity: soil is a complex living organism with a diverse microbial population that interacts with plants and the surrounding habitat. Safeguarding and strengthening this biodiversity is essential, as microorganisms transform organic and inorganic compounds that plants use as source of nourishment.

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