Michele Biancardi
View winesIn the countryside of Cerignola, old doors still open the way into Michele Biancardi’s cellar—doors that once belonged to his great-grandparents and still welcome visitors today. Inside, the place keeps its memory in the materials: stone arches that have seen grapes pass “over the centuries,” and the smell of must that clings to the walls like a seasonal ritual.
A dry-stone wall draws the line between cellar and vineyard, enclosing a small garden of citrus and pines, where owls quietly patrol the edges. The production is intentionally small; the ambition is not scale, but wines that feel unmistakably tied to where they come from.
Location
The address is specific and rural: Contrada Viro (SP 68), Cerignola (FG)—Puglia farmland with sea influence close enough to matter.
Cerignola itself is framed as an agricultural giant—the city with Italy’s largest “agro,” where history and farming tradition still set the rhythm.
Across the vineyards, the work centers on local strength and coastal air: sites described as near the sea and the Gargano, on largely calcareous soils, trained at high density (5,000 vines/ha) in classic systems like spur-pruned cordon and Guyot.
Winemaking & Philosophy
The backbone is varietal and clear: Nero di Troia, Primitivo, and Fiano, chosen as traditional grapes of the area, with the estate stating that all wines are certified Bio.
In the cellar, the guiding idea is restraint—technology kept to a minimum, oak used with moderation, and steel employed when it protects freshness in hot periods. Above all, energy is treated as part of the farm’s integrity: solar panels push production beyond consumption.
You can see the style in the flagship reds. Animadinero (Nero di Troia IGT Puglia) is built with long maceration and then aged in large 20 hl oak for 14 months.
Milleceppi follows an even more ancient cadence: after fermentation, it rests for 8 months in large earthenware jars, bottled without fining, then left to settle before release.
On the white side, L’Insolito (Bianco IGT Puglia, 100% Minutolo) is handled with temperature as protection—grapes cooled to 0°C for 24 hours before pressing, then fermented cold to preserve aromatics.
