Azienda Agricola San Salvatore 19.88, a family-owned and operated certified-organic winery established in 2006 by international hotelier, entrepreneur, and buffalo rancher Giuseppe Pagano and named after both his father, and his son Salvatore (born in 1988), is located within Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its ancient Greek temples of Paestum), in Campania. San Salvatore 19.88 focuses on terroir-driven wines produced from native varietals. The San Salvatore 19.88 estate also houses La Dispensa di San Salvatore, a restaurant offering a Cilento menu centered around San Salvatore 19.88 organic wine, buffalo mozzarella, and olive oil.
Guiseppe, known affectionately as “Peppino” to family and friends, employs carbon-neutral, minimally-invasive, biodynamic, and sustainable winemaking methods that support a biodiverse and healthy environment. These techniques include incorporating vineyard-friendly flora and fauna to naturally control pests, and nourishing the soil with buffalo manure. Peppino also uses an environmentally-sustainable biogas plant to convert winemaking waste into renewable energy and non-toxic fertilizer. Peppino was inspired by biodynamic-farming pioneer Rudolf Steiner, a champion of wine cultivation techniques that fostered a naturally interdependent and self-sustaining ecosystem. Peppino believes the biodynamic, organic, and sustainable approach to wine production is the best way to preserve the environment for posterity.
San Salvatore 19.88 currently encompasses roughly 40 hectares of hillside vineyards dedicated to the cultivation of Fiano, Greco di Tufo, Falanghina, and Aglianico. The vineyards are distributed across three main areas including Stio Cilento, Capaccio-Paestum, and Giungano. These vineyards stand at elevations ranging from 200 to 750 meters above sea level. A microclimate defined by abundant sunshine, warm days mitigated by cool breezes coming off the nearby Mediterranean Sea, and a dramatic diurnal temperature differential enables San Salvatore 19.88 to produce fresh and vibrant, mineral-and-fruit driven white and red wines with complexity and character.
The first vintage of San Salvatore 19.88, bottled in 2009, was released in 2011. The winery celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and in the span of just two decades, it has managed to establish a reputation for modern organic winemaking excellence.
I had the pleasure of dining with Peppino at Audace Restaurant in New York City this past summer where he presented a selection of wines from his well-crafted portfolio. The wines showed beautifully, and Peppino’s easy and open manner, and warm and generous spirit, made the luncheon feel less like a formal gathering than a convivial meal with newfound friends.
We enjoyed the following wines:
San Salvatore Falanghina 2023
100% Falanghina
Aromas: White flowers, and citrus, summer, and tropical fruits, and fresh herbs
Flavor profile: Crisp and medium-bodied, with balanced acidity and minerality, and honeysuckle, orange blossom, lemon, green apple, pineapple, and banana notes.
San Salvatore 1988 Pian di Stio Fiano 2021
100% Fiano
Aromas: White flowers, orchard fruits, and fresh-cut grass
Flavor profile: Elegant and supple, with vivacious acidity, soft salinity, and jasmine, pear, peach, and fresh herb notes.
Omaggio a Gillo Dorfles Aglianico Paestum IGP 2016
100% Aglianico
The wine is named after famed Italian artist Gillo Dorfles.
Aromas: Rich dark berries and stone fruits, sweet spice, and espresso
Flavor profile: Full-bodied and structured, with well-rounded tannins, bright acidity, and mixed berry, cherry, tobacco, coffee, and allspice notes.
Omaggio a Gillo Dorfles Aglianico Paestum IGP 2017
100% Aglianico
Aromas: Vivacious dark berries, stone fruits, and spice, earth, and scented wood.
Flavor profile: Warm and spicy, with dusty tannins, fresh acidity, and blackberry and currant, cherry, pepper, nutmeg, and oak notes.
San Salvatore Jungano Aglianico Paestum IGT 2021
Jungano is the local dialect spoken in Giungano where the grapes for this wine were sourced
100% Aglianico
Aromas: Dark berries and stone fruits, sweet spices, and tobacco.
Flavor profile: Full-bodied and structured, with vibrant acidity, firm, well-integrated tannins, and cherry, plum, preserved berry, and cinnamon notes.
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