Since its beginning, the Santa Barbara winery has always had two principal objectives: to reintroduce the Marche region’s indigenous grape varieties (Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi – white – and Montepulciano and Lacrima di Morro d’Alba – reds), and to craft wines of great personality that appeal to international tastes while respecting the tradition of the Marche land. In fact, in addition to the autochthonous grapes, international varieties including Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are cultivated as well to enhance the lineup. In other words, one eye on the territory and the other on the market. With this driving force, Stefano produces modern wines with traditional varietals, elegant, intriguing and persuasive examples of the finest winemaking. He has been called a “visionary and eclectic winemaker, continually striving for stylistic perfection.” Stefano sees himself in those words as they perfectly sum up his philosophy, both in the beginning and today. “My secret is to make wine that first and foremost appeals to me, a wine-drinker’s wine.” – Stefano Antonucci
The vineyards are 25-40 years old and encompass an area of about 45 hectares of land, from the rolling hills of Barbara, across Serra de Conti, Montecarotto, and Arcevia up to Morro D’Alba and Cupramontana. The particularity of these areas lies in the soils, water-rich clay with some calcareous and gravelly areas, occupying a strip of land bordered by the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Apennines to the west. Work in the vineyards (January through October) is carried out by hand under the attentive guidance of renowned technicians and expert farmers, seeking a balance between spur pruning, focused interventions and thinning only when necessary.
Each harvest represents the opportunity to know the grapes, the soil and the land a little bit better and thus, to raise standards and to experiment, always in respect of traditions and history of the land. Endless passion combined with scrupulous attention in vineyard and cellar and a strong sprit of innovation bestow the Santa Barbara wines with a refined and unique personality, impeccable and always dynamic.