Gianfranco Fino

Before he embarked in winemaking, Gianfranco Fino’s initial professional focus lay with the cultivation of olives and production of olive oil. As a qualified agronomist, he soon became a recognised specialist and caught the eye of many.

Puglia is well known for its olive oil and is Italy’s largest producer of it. However, as a region, it is also acknowledged for its vast number of vineyards that grow side-by-side with the ‘Ulivi’ (Italian for olive trees).

Gianfranco decided to become a winemaker in 2004 when he bought 1.3 hectares of pre-existing vineyard that was over 50 years old, located in the historic birthplace of Primitivo, in Manduria.

All wines produced from the Gianfranco Fino estate in Manduria are made exclusively from Primitivo and Negroamaro grapes. The indigenous bush vines grow in a limestone-clayey red soil, typical of the Apulian region.

Gianfranco has around 7 hectares of Primitivo and 2 hectares of Negroamaro. From the Primitivo vineyards, the wine ‘Es’ is made from the oldest vines. Whereas, his wine ‘Sé’ (Italian for ‘me’) is made from his younger vines, planted by Gianfranco when he started out in winemaking. The two hectares of Negroamaro gives us his wine ‘Jo’ which stands for ‘Jonico’, a historic Apulian synonym for Primitivo.