Since 1960 the Pengue family has selected the best grapes from Sannio Benevento between Matese and Taburno, creating native wines that express the winemaking tradition of Castelvenere, the most vineyard-growing municipality in Campania.
In the heart of the Sannio area of Benevento, between the slopes of Matese and Taburno, a winery was founded in 1960 that would profoundly mark the wine history of Campania. Pasquale Pengue, driven by a pioneering technical and quality vision for the time, established his winery in Castelvenere, a territory that holds an extraordinary record: with 11 out of 14 square kilometers entirely cultivated with vines, this municipality represents the highest concentration of vineyards in all of Campania. This is not just a statistic, but the identity manifesto of an area where vines and humans have woven an inseparable bond through the centuries. The alluvial soils, enriched with clay, sandy elements, and volcanic components, offer the grapes a unique mineral complexity, while the temperate microclimate favors gradual and harmonious ripening. Over the years, the Pengue family has built a Castelvenere winemaking tradition that today extends through a widespread network of over four hundred partner farms and approximately twelve hundred hectares of vineyards, a productive ecosystem that enhances the work of local winemakers and preserves the territory's biodiversity.
The Vignolè line was born from the idea of selecting the best wine expressions of the region, intended for the most demanding professional channels: Michelin-starred restaurants, specialized wine shops, and high-end supermarkets. This range represents the quality evolution of a project rooted in the enhancement of native grape varieties, those that were already celebrated for their excellence in ancient Rome and that today are once again winning over the most refined palates. Among the flagship offerings stands out the Falanghina frizzante IGP, a sparkling version of the symbolic grape variety of Sannio that expresses freshness and aromatic vivacity, perfect for accompanying an appetizer of cured meats and cheeses from the territory or for opening an important dinner with elegance. The fine and persistent perlage pairs magnificently with the sapidity of Campania buffalo mozzarella or with the delicacy of aged prosciutto, creating taste balances that enhance both the wine and local gastronomic excellence. Alongside this offering, we find the Aglianico DOC wine, a structured and complex red that tells the story of the power of southern Italy's prince grape variety, capable of delivering intense notes of dark fruits, spices, and tobacco, ideal for braised red meat dishes or aged cheeses with a bold personality.
The packaging and design reflect the philosophy of a brand that looks to the future without forgetting its roots. The bottles, designed to stand out on the most carefully curated wine lists and wine shop shelves, immediately communicate their connection to the territory through a clean and essential aesthetic, where every graphic element recalls the designation of origin and varietal distinctiveness. Attention to detail extends to the choice of materials: in line with the Sannio Sustainability project promoted by the Protection Consortium, the winery is directing its choices toward increasingly sustainable solutions, from lightening the glass to reducing the carbon footprint, demonstrating that quality and environmental responsibility can coexist harmoniously. The organoleptic characteristics and tasting notes that distinguish white wines reveal floral and citrus nuances that are best expressed in native Campanian grape varieties, offering sensory experiences of great finesse and aromatic complexity.
The range is not limited to the two flagship products: the offering also includes Greco Sannio DOC, a white wine of great personality that best expresses the minerality of volcanic soils, and Falanghina del Sannio DOC in still version, vinified in purity to fully preserve the aromatic profile of the grape variety. Each label is born from grapes cultivated in suitable terroirs, selected through constant monitoring that accompanies the vineyard from pruning to harvest, ensuring high and consistent quality standards. The company's production philosophy is based on respect for the natural cycle of the vine and concrete commitment to replanting ancient native grape varieties at risk of extinction, a biodiversity protection project that enriches Campania's varietal heritage and offers consumers authentic and territorial wines. This attention to mother earth, as it is defined by the Pengue family, translates into sustainable agronomic practices that enhance the natural fertility of the soil and limit chemical interventions, favoring integrated pest management methods and respect for the vineyard's biological balance.
Fun fact: in 1928 Castelvenere was struck by the devastating arrival of phylloxera, the parasite that had already brought European vineyards to their knees decades earlier. This dramatic event profoundly marked the local community, forcing winemakers to completely rethink the territory's viticulture through grafting onto American rootstock and the selection of more resistant clones. Paradoxically, this historical calamity triggered a virtuous process of modernization and quality improvement that laid the foundations for the wine renaissance of Sannio in the post-war period, preparing the ground for Pasquale Pengue's entrepreneurial intuition and for the success of subsequent generations. Today, almost a century later, that resilience and ability to innovate while respecting tradition continue to characterize the productive identity of the entire district, making Castelvenere one of the most dynamic and appreciated wine hubs in Southern Italy.
The ability to combine tradition and modernity clearly emerges in the commercial approach: while on one hand the winery preserves the ancient knowledge of Sannio winemaking, on the other it opens up to the most advanced distribution channels, engaging with sommeliers, chefs, and buyers through a contemporary language that values traceability, sustainability, and organoleptic authenticity. To accompany an informal aperitif or an evening snack, the wines of the line also pair perfectly with savory snacks, from artisanal chips to seasoned olives, creating versatile and accessible tasting experiences. The tannic structure, aromatic complexity, and full body that characterize red wines find maximum expression in Aglianico del Sannio, capable of delivering intense and persistent taste sensations that evolve magnificently over time. In a market increasingly attentive to the origin and quality of raw materials, this winery represents a reference point for those seeking bottles that tell true stories, rooted in a territory rich in culture and passion, where every sip is a journey through centuries of peasant wisdom and family dedication to the noble craft of wine.
The company joins the Sannio Sustainability project promoted by the Protection Consortium, a voluntary specification that monitors carbon footprint, water footprint, bottle weight, vineyard biodiversity, human capital and energy consumption. A concrete commitment towards sustainable viticultural practices which enhance the territory and guarantee quality while respecting the environment for future generations.
The wines comply with rigorous specifications of the denominations Falanghina del Sannio DOC, Greco Sannio DOC and Beneventano PGI. Each bottle guarantees certified territorial origin, controlled winemaking methods and quality standards verified by the relevant bodies. The grapes come exclusively from soils suitable between Matese and Taburno, grown according to protocols that preserve authenticity and varietal typicality.
The company was born in 1960 from the visionary project of Pasquale Pengue, with the aim of enhancing the native vines of the Benevento Sannio through innovative production techniques and respect for territorial tradition.
The headquarters is located in Castelvenere, in the province of Benevento, in the heart of Sannio. This municipality holds an extraordinary record: 11 square kilometers out of 14 are cultivated with vines, representing the highest concentration of vines in Campania.
Vignolè represents a premium selection of the best regional wine excellences, designed specifically for quality catering, specialized wine bars and advanced hypermarkets, with a focus on the native vines of the territory.
The range includes Falanghina del Sannio DOC, Greco Sannio DOC and various variations including Spumante Falanghina, all obtained from grapes grown in soils suitable between the Matese and Taburno mountains.
