Blog: Rivera | Puglia

The De Corato family: guardians of Apulian viticulture
The De Corato family's heritage is deeply rooted in the soils of Puglia. In the late 1940s, Sebastiano founded the Rivera winery in the Andria area with the vision of raising the remarkable quality potential of wine production in the Castel del Monte region and spreading it throughout the world. Success was not long in coming, as the Rivera winery quickly became a linchpin of Apulian wine culture and the driving force behind its renaissance, largely due to the innovations introduced by Sebastiano's son Carolo in the vineyards and cellar since the 1980s. Today, with the arrival of Sebastiano and Marco, Carolo's sons and grandsons of the founder, the winery proudly continues its production of wines that express the intense and elegant character of this terroir and its grape varieties.

Quality initiatives: The care of the vineyards
The Rivera winery's quality project is based on the careful cultivation of the winery's 75 hectares of vineyards. Here, the vines are cultivated according to sustainable cultivation protocols, using both cordon training with spur pruning and Guyot training to achieve a high vine density per hectare and low yields. The vineyards of Torre di Bocca and Coppa, located between 200 and 230 meters above sea level, have deep soils rich in limestone and tuff, producing white grapes of autochthonous varieties and red grapes of exceptional elegance and structure. The impressive vineyard of Lama di Corvo, which overlooks the sea and the Gargano massif, is located on the rocky soils of the Alta Murgia plateau at an altitude of 350 meters and produces Chardonnay and Sauvignon grapes known for their freshness and minerality.

Pioneering spirit: Unlocking new terrain
Rivera is one of the few Apulian wineries that can compete with the best on a national level. The De Corato family, which today owns the Rivera winery together with the Francia family, has been at the forefront of regional viticulture since the beginning of the 20th century and has significantly influenced and driven its development. After the Second World War, experiments were carried out in the newly planted vineyards and non-indigenous varieties such as Sauvignon and Pinot Bianco were introduced, while the wines from the estate's own vineyards marked the modernization of the business. In the meantime, Carlo de Corato and Sebastiano continue to run the company with the same drive and motivation as his father.

Innovative facilities: A new era in winemaking
Recently, a new, ultra-modern, high-capacity winery was built next to the old Rivera winery in the municipality of Rivera, representing the latest in technological development. The vineyards, which extend over the municipalities of Andria, Minervino, Murge and Corato, are located in the Castel del Monte appellation, named after the octagonal castle of the Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II. Rivera's wine portfolio includes various varieties from this appellation, including the wines from the new Terre al Monte line, which are made from Sauvignon, Pinot Nero and Aglianico, the latter of which is well on its way to following in the footsteps of Falcone, one of the most important Apulian red wines of recent years. - Gerardo [TS03/24]

"Founded in 1950 by Sebastiano De Corato, this large winery now offers, under the direction of son Carlo, a wide range that gives as much space to local grapes as to international varieties planted in the eighties. The DOC Castel del Monte is of great importance, but this does not diminish the quality of the other labels. The vines, raised with the cordon-cone pruning system, ripen at 200 to 220 meters above sea level on soils rich in limestone and tuff, or on the rocky Murgia hills at 300 to 350 meters above sea level." - Gambero Rosso
"Rivera is one of the most important wineries in Puglia in terms of image and quality. I was able to taste through two vintages of recent releases and was delighted by the two top-shelf wines (the Puer Apuliae and Il Falcone Riserva) from the 2009 vintage. To my palate, these are two of the finest wines ever made by Rivera. Rivera has overwhelmingly mastered the difficult art of making great wine from the finicky Nero di Troia variety. Because of its thin skin, the grape often suffers from mold and mildew. But Rivera has gained experience over the years to lessen the impact of these issues." - Robert Parker

© www.rivera.it

Profile
Name	Rivera
Category	Puglia
Founding Year	1950
Owner	De Corato Family
Oenologist	Leonardo Palumbo
Annual Production (Btls)	1.200.000
Vineyard Area (Hectare)	75
Additional Purchase	No
Cultivation	Conventional

Shop: Rivera
	Preludio No 1 · Chardonnay del Castel del Monte DOC 2023, Rivera Rivera, Puglia € 8,50 11,33 €/L
	Sauvignon Terre al Monte DOC 2023, Rivera Rivera, Puglia € 8,50 11,33 €/L
	Il Falcone · Rosso Riserva Castel del Monte DOC 2017, Rivera Rivera, Puglia € 17,50 23,33 €/L
	Fedora · Castel del Monte Bianco DOC 2023, Rivera Rivera, Puglia € 6,95 9,27 €/L
	Pungirosa · Castel del Monte Bombino Nero Rosato DOCG 2023, Rivera Rivera, Puglia € 8,95 11,93 €/L
	Puer Apuliae · Nero di Troia Riserva DOC 2014, Rivera Rivera, Puglia € 23,95 31,93 €/L

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