The origins of a family history driven by passion, dedication and authenticity that began in the mid-19th century when Pasquale Galdieri planted the first roots in the fertile soils of the Roccamonfina Volcano. It continued with Roberto Selvaggi and his family through the production of a wine that symbolises a constant search for the historical memory of the Bourbon Kingdom.
The year 1991 saw the birth of Galardi, a winery that has always sought to transform its heritage into excellence.
The origins of the family date back to the second half of the 19th century when Pasquale Galdieri bought several hectares of oak trees, a farm and a Palace located on the Roccamonfina Volcano. He decided to convert the oak woods into chestnut groves and diversified the production by adding some olive trees. In 1943, the Germans occupied the Palace and made it their headquarter, but when the Americans arrived it was blown up. Subsequently, Pasquale's daughter Virginia, along with her husband Guido Bartoli, converted the Vallemarina farm into a country residence for their large family.
In 1977, when the family invited Roberto Selvaggi to visit them, he met Maria Luisa Murena, great-granddaughter of the last finance minister of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The family’s recollections and documentation he found at their home was the first step of his research into the history of Southern Italy and the Bourbon Kingdom.
•
Roberto, a lover of Bordeaux wines, decided he wanted to produce a high quality red wine. Non-native grapes were planted on a half-hectare parcel of Bartoli land and after involving his wife Maria Luisa, and cousins Arturo Celentano, and Dora and Francesco Catello, the winemaking adventure began. Roberto contacted the oenologist Riccardo Cotarella and convinced him to look into the winemaking potential of those little-known and hard-to-reach places.
Riccardo decided to graft Aglianico and Piedirosso, Campania’s native grape varieties, on a half-hectare of land, and this is how the Galardi winery was born in 1991. A business started for fun where everyone in the family came from different working backgrounds and took care of the vineyard in their free time or at weekends. A grotto under the property in Vallemarina where the family once held balls and parties was transformed into a cellar.
The year 1994 saw the first harvest of Terra di Lavoro, which produced 500 bottles. Roberto chose the name and label, both symbols of his love for Southern Italy. Two years later, all the bottles were bought at the first Vinitaly trade fair to be sold on the American market. History repeated itself the following year for the 1995 Terra di Lavoro vintage. Interest from overseas had arrived immediately.
•
Galardi emerged on the Italian wine scene. Its vineyards covered 4 hectares of land and in 1997 it obtained organic certification. Terra di Lavoro began collecting national and international awards in 1999, prompting the family to focus entirely on this wine. Robert M. Parker called it “A monster with extraordinary intensity and richness”, while Veronelli commented “One of the best Italian wines last year, but apparently Terra di Lavoro deserves more than a ranking ex aequo. The only solution, absolute supremacy, achieved with the 1997 vintage”.
Galardi invested in cutting-edge equipment and introduced larger bottles, such as Magnums in 1999 and Double Magnums in 2002. Production grew steadily, reaching 7,5 hectares in 2001, but maintained the highest quality and attention to detail, such as wax sealing the bottles and numbering them by hand.
•
•
In 2018, Allegra Selvaggi, Roberto's daughter, who although deeply attached to her homeland had a career in a completely different sector, decided to carry on her father's mission and continue to develop and enhance Galardi. She took over the management of the wine estate and dedicated herself personally to the vineyard and winery.
To meet future challenges, she needed a custodian who could guarantee continuity and preserve Galardi's uniqueness. Thus, in 2023, the winery became part of the Tenute Capaldo Group; it was decided that Allegra would continue to run the Galardi Estate to ensure its autonomy and maintain its philosophy. Riccardo Cotarella stayed at her side.
•
In 2024, after carefully assessing the last few climatic vintages, Allegra decided that Terra di Lavoro needed more bottle ageing and so postponed the release of the 2021 Terra di Lavoro by a year.
•