Paternoster
Barile Aglianico del Vulture, Italy
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Azienda Vinicola Paternoster is one of the most famous and oldest still-family owned wineries in the Basilicata region, which is in the "instep" of the boot that is the shape of the country and know primarily for the ancient Italian red grape Aglianico (thought to have been brought to Italy by the Greeks in the sixth Century BC). Don Anselmo Paternoster, the winery's founder, learned the art of winemaking from his father and, in 1925, decided the time was right to start commercially bottling and selling Aglianico del Vulture (from vineyards rising as high as 600 meters up the steep black volcanic slopes of the extinct volcano Mount Vulture). Don Anselmo was a pioneer in seeing the potential of the grape variety from this poor part of Italy (which had traditionally been used as a blending grape for the Taurasi wines of nearby Campania) and being the first to bring this hearty, noble grape to consumers with consistent high quality and great attention to the way in which it was made.
Don Anselmo's son Giuseppe continued in his father's footsteps, generously extending his knowledge to the entire region (made up of the provinces of Potenza and Matera) and working hard for the eventual DOC designation and recognition of wine enthusiasts' worldwide.
Today, amid a wealth of historical Paternoster labels, photos and winemaking tools that date back to the winery's founding, the third generation of the Paternoster family is led by Guiseppe's son Vito, who undertook an extensive revitalization of the Estate vineyards and winery in the 1990s, eventually producing approximately 150,000 bottles a year. Paternoster, called the "King of Aglianico", is famous for two different, but equally important expressions of Aglianico - the traditional Don Anselmo label and the innovative, modern Rotondo.
