He who makes others happy is happy himself". This is the statement that from the wall of the main building kindly welcomes whoever enters Contrada Dattilo. These few words encompass all that myself and my family have done since I decided to invest all my resources in a dream, buying a property and basing my life on land, long ago in 1973.
I discovered the most important thing in a short time: nature cannot be controlled, it can only be humoured. But to do this you need to know it very well. And you can come to know it only by loving it. It was an infinite love of the land and all its living beings that led us to become pioneers of organic farming as early as 1991, leading us to obtain ICEA (Istituto di Certificazione Etica - Ethnic Certification Institute) certification in 1991.
Now having overcome difficult challenges we are a fertile and happy organic agricultural company that apart from producing the best oil in Calabria offers 9 quality wines and an annual production of 70,000 bottles a year. My greatest joy is observing the fruit of our hard work. The land that we cultivate has again come to be a perfectly functioning microcosm upon whose equilibrium rests high-quality production that is sustainable in the long term.
But the most glorious fruit of all this labor and love, are my three children, who all work alongside me.: Giuseppe, manages cultivation and production. Susy, is a business economics graduate, concerned with administration and sales. Caterina is a qualified oenologist who manages the cuisine of the Michelin-starred Dattilo restaurant owned by the Ceraudo family.
She is the chef of the Dattilo restaurant, one Michelin star. The "little one" of the house, but she is a cyclone of energy and imagination, who leads the brigade with personality and sweetness at the same time. She smiles and talks dishes about her. Extraordinary.
Giuseppe smiles, he does it even while working. He has an intimate relationship with the earth, he feels it on himself. He lives it, he takes care of it. He respects her. Giuseppe likes to get his hands dirty and smell perfumes. It is nature made man.
Susy is the eldest daughter of the Ceraudo family. And it is she who reasons, organizes, plans life on the estate. She takes care of the marketing and the commercial part. She is the soul that in the midst of dreams, places reason.
Contrada Dattilo, extends over 60 hectares. It is located in Calabria in the territory of Strongoli Marina, ancient Petelia, close to Crotone di Pitagora. There are 20 hectares of vineyards, 37 of olive groves and 3 dedicated to citrus fruit.
From a historical point of view the area in which Contrada Dattilo is located is really special. We are in the heart of a region that in ancient times was known as Enotria, from the Greek "oinotron", meaning “vineyard pole”. According to Greek historians, Italian winegrowing started in this very area, with the arrival of the courageous war lords who left Athens with wine branches for plantation.
From a naturalistic point of view, the land that houses Contrada Dattilo is perfect for the cultivation of quality vine. We are less than two kilometers from the Ionian Sea, at 60 meters above sea level. The sea is so close that you can smell its perfume transported by the morning breeze. In the summer evenings, the gentle swish of the current echoes on the gentle hills that descend towards the blue. The sea brings temperature variations between the day and evening that promote the perfect aromatic maturation of the grapes. Every grape and every olive mature under the powerful rays of a hot summer sun.
