Our history

When in 1966 twenty-five farmers decided to establish the "Cantina Sociale di Solopaca - Limited liability cooperative company", their aim was to work for the increase and defense of the wine heritage of the "Solopaca" area and for the progress economic and social aspects of agriculture.

The Solopaca area has always been cultivated with vineyards and olive groves with a skill that has been refined over time. Here the vine finds its ideal environment in the hills and in the nature of the soil, producing a ruby red wine with a delicate aroma, a clear flavour, an extremely pleasant taste and a soft texture with an alcohol content oscillating between 12 and 13 degrees. The white wine has the scent of Malvasia and a harmonious and velvety flavor with an alcohol content oscillating between 11.50 and 12 degrees.

By decree of the President of the Republic, published in the Official Journal of 1/30/1974, Solopaca wine obtained the recognition of controlled origin (D.O.C.). The dream of twenty-five farmers, who were joined by another 600, came true and they finally saw the Cantina Sociale materialised, which with its grandiose complex represents a great economic reality for Solopaca and for the entire production area which extends on the two banks of the Calore river. In fact, in the "Solopaca" area, in addition to the lands of Solopaca, there are also those of the municipalities of Castelvenere, Guardia Sanframondi, San Lorenzo Maggiore, and part of the municipalities of Cerreto Sannita, Faicchio, Frasso Telesino, Melizzano, San Lorenzello, San Salvatore Telesino and Telese.

Of course, it was very difficult to convince the winemakers of the goodness of the cooperation and of the delivery of the grapes to the Cantina Sociale and to escape the not always humane rules of the buying and selling of the grapes which took place every year at the Ponte Maria Cristina at a price set unilaterally by the buyers.

This appears evident from the data on the delivery of grapes to the cooperative.

The members contributed 34,150 quintals of grapes in 1972, 33,870 quintals in 1973, 31,920 quintals in 1974, 43,000 quintals in 1975 and around 32,000 quintals in 1976. In short, in 1976 around 30,000 quintals of grapes went to feed the grape market down at the Maria Cristina Bridge. These winemakers, driven by economic needs, preferred to sell their grapes, through intermediaries, to traders because they had the possibility of pocketing the money immediately, but in any case at a price which, all things considered, was slightly higher than the average price. paid by the Cantina Sociale. The payment system to the members was carried out in this way: a deposit 15-20 days after the delivery of the grapes, another deposit in May and the balance at the end of the financial statements.

The winemaker who sold his own grapes had a distrust towards cooperation because he was imbued with centuries of individualism and above all because he was attracted solely by the certainty and security of having his own money in his pocket immediately. Naturally, over the years these fears and worries disappeared and the winemakers all became members of the cooperative and were convinced that in this way they had the certainty of selling their product at an average market price every year. As a result, the grape market that was held every year on the right bank of the Calore river has disappeared due to lack of sellers.

Today the Solopaca Social Winery, with a production of 150,000 hectolitres, is working at full capacity, continuing to produce and bottle quality wine and special and ancient flavors for the joy of consumers' palates and almost single-handedly supporting the entire economy area which is based exclusively on the cultivation of vines and the production of wine.

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