Cooperativa Lentamente

In the hills of Sannio, near Benevento, Donato De Marco and his cooperativa Lentamente are redefining what agriculture can mean – not just a source of food, but a tool for justice, dignity, and social change. After years in social agriculture, Donato returned home to found Lentamente, a deeply rooted project that cultivates organic grains, wine, honey, and olives while offering real opportunities to people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Their vineyards and fields are tended not just with care, but with purpose: to transform lives, restore abandoned land, and build a resilient, inclusive rural community. Made with minimal intervention, every bottle from Lentamente tells a story of regeneration - of people, land and hope.

Bianco
Grape: Falanghina, 2022 (w)
Textured and straw coloured with notes of olive and almond

100% Falanghina del Sannio is harvested exclusively by hand in Torrecuso around September 20th in Guyot-trained vineyards located at approximately 350 meters above sea level. The soil is clay-loam.

The grapes are hand-picked and taken to a soft press where they are pressed for 12 hours. This process closely resembles maceration, adding color and body to the wine. This same process also helps reduce the acidity of a blend that can typically be quite high. Aged for a minimum of 8 months in stainless steel, during which time it is racked twice without filtration. For this reason, it is a very clean wine, golden in color, with hints of dried fruit, suitable for both aperitifs and full meals.

The name suggests that this is a wine that strives for simplicity. In our region, wines are usually referred to as red and white. The schwa in our name indicates our desire to avoid any discrimination.

Rosato
Grape: Aglianico 2022 (p)
A juicy dep pink rosato with all the texture and flavour of aglianico

Rosé made from 100% Aglianico del Sannio, harvested exclusively by hand in Solopaca around September 20th. The five-year-old vineyard is trained using the Guyot espalier system. The vineyard's altitude is approximately 200 meters above sea level on gravelly alluvial soils, which allow for great minerality and freshness. After harvesting, which is done exclusively by hand, the grapes are soft-pressed for a few hours and fermented in stainless steel tanks without further contact with the skins, resulting in a fresh and drinkable wine.

It ages in stainless steel for approximately eight months and is then bottled.

It has herbaceous notes, particularly of arugula, and is very easy to drink.

The name has two origins: the fact that rosé wine is commonly made by blending red and white wine. And it's also a tribute to a book of the same name, which tells the story of the return to the land of young people dissatisfied with life in the city, something that characterizes the Lentamente cooperative.

Rosso
Grape: Aglianico 2022 (r)
A full-bodied, rich and structured red.

100% Aglianico del Sannio, harvested exclusively by hand in Torrecuso between October 10th and 20th. The vineyards, located at approximately 450 meters above sea level on tuff and clay soils, are between 30 and 50 years old and trained using the canopy system. This cultivation method allows for fresher grapes, less exposed to the sun's rays.

Once harvested, the grapes are crushed and fermented with the skins in open vats for approximately 10 days. They are then pressed, and the must is separated from the skins, resulting in fresher, more drinkable wines after a year.

The wine is aged for 10 months in stainless steel, during which it is racked twice without filtration. The wine is full of red fruit, has a strong body and good acidity.