Company

The historic wine cellars of Fontanavecchia: A temple dedicated to wine, to the hard work of man, to the enchantment of the slow and delicate rhythms that have entwined the lives of a family of winegrowers for generations. Built by the founder of the Rillo family, beginning in the 19th century and later restored and enlarged, today this is one of the outstanding wine-producing facilities of the Campania region. The Fontanavecchia company expands over an area of 18 hectars in the homonymous district of Torrecuso in the province of Beneventano; it is managed attentively by Libero Rillo, with additional experience provided his father Orazio and his brother Giuseppe.

Our Story

To recount the origins of Fontanavecchia is like telling the story of Torrecuso and its people. An old register from the Bourbon era mentions that already more than one hundred and sixty years ago the excellent wine of this area was produced by the hands of the winegrowers of the Rillo family, attentive caretakers of the vines and guardians of the antique traditions of the magical city of Benevento. The story of the wine-producers of Fontanavecchia is inextricably linked to the history of the Samnium region and its wines: Falanghina del Sannio and Aglianico del Taburno. These two precious grape varieties have come back into fashion thanks to the steady effort of the Rillo family and are renowned world wide today; it is a story of antique traditions and bold visions of the future, of passsion, daily work and innovation. The Rillo family has dedicated a whole life of loving commitment to the cultivation of the vines, to the memory of its origins, and to the care of the land. This family since its origins has been highly skilled at managing the work in its own vineyeards, to process the exceptional fruit that comes out of it, and to bottle the precious wine under its own label. This has set the Fontanavecchia company apart as one of the most important and historic wine-producers of the whole Samnium region.

Our Philosophy

All wines produced by the Fontanavecchia winery are expression of the wine-making tradition of the Samnium region. They have always been telling a story of patient work dedicated to one unwavering goal: excellent quality. Therefore every step of production, from the care of the vineyard to the harvest to the bottling phase, is carried out with passion, scrupulous attention and utmost respect for the vines, the wine and the people involved. The ultimate goal is to obtain outstanding results for every single variety, to reflect its identity and character.

In the management of the vineyards and the wine cellar the Rillo family has always favoured quality over quantity. In our opinion, for every wine produced, from the riserva to the younger varieties, its special character has to be considered and enhanced, while still maintaining a high degree of pleasantness. From the line of younger wines like the Falanghina and the Aglianico or the Coda di volpe, the Greco, the Fiano and the Piedirosso, all the way to the great wines called riserva, like Grave Mora, Vigna Cataratte, Orazio, Libero and Facetus, this approach leads to the expression of lightness and harmony, maintaining elegance and body and a surprising ability to stand the test of time. A distinct note that renders our wines enjoyable and pleasant in spite of their structural complexity.

The respect of the Rillo family for the great wine tradition of Taburno has never kept them from innovating and from looking ahead and into international markets. Thanks to this spirit Fontanavecchia has withstood and successfully grown for decades and, not by coincidence, been able to anticipate market developments without abandoning its own roots and tradition as wine makers.

Our Work

The Fontanavecchia company comprises an area of circa 18 hectars of vineyards, maintained in a small green corner of Campania, the Beneventano district of the Samnium region in the historic medieval village of Torrecuso on the slopes of Mount Taburno. Here the vines and olive trees mark a magic and unspoilt scenery. In the lovely distict of Fontanavecchia close to the large vineyards of Aglianico and Falanghina grow various other valued varieties of grapes. In this area the quality of the wines stems mostly from the vines and the effort to find ideal methods for the cultivation, the harvest and the wine pressing that best incorporate soil, environment and tradition. Starting from the first activities between the rows of vines, we choose organic fertilizer with special qualities that balance and improve the vitality of the soil and plants and maintain an healthy environment for the production of grapes of excellent quality. Attentive management of the vines, careful harvesting of the best bunches of grapes by hand and a stable temperature during the harvest period result in wines with exact organoleptic properties, balanced taste and enjoyable and pleasant drinkability. Tradition, local pride and continous striving to maintain the highest excellence define the philosophy of the Rillo family and show in all of the wines they produce. This ongoing effort over decades has transformed the Aglianico and Falanghina wines of Fontanavecchia into iconic labels, forerunners of a great modern tale of wine production in the Taburno area.