The Farm Francesco di Filippo, was founded by the current winegrower’s grandfather in March 1887;it initially focused on growing and selling the Moscato Reale di Trani grape, the only variety planted in its own vineyards. The crop went to the wineries in northern Italy and in particular to sparkling wine producers, since the grape makes an ideal base wine for sparkling wine. The business underwent a thoroughgoing change of direction starting in the early 2000s, when the third generation of the family took over the helm, in the person of winegrower Franco di Filippo. He completely turned around the production output and methods of both his grandfather Francesco and of his father Nicola, who had up to that point grown and then “undersold the gold of Trani,” the Moscato Reale di Trani grape, a native variety whose roots went back to the year 1000. Franco di Filippo thus began a new adventure, with a passionate commitment to viticulture handed down by his forebears. He started bottling and selling his own brand of wine, *Estasi*, the famous Moscato Reale di Trani, not the sweet table wine traditional to that point, however, but a luscious passito, or dessert wine style. This was the fruit a different harvest method: he left the clusters to naturally dry on the vines until Mother Nature and, above all, Divine Providence in whose hands he humbly places himself-exercised their influence, favouring a slow, gradual process of concentrating long-lingering aromas and fragrances suitable for yielding the elegant, intense thoroughbred that is *Estasi*-Moscato di Trani-Passito Liberty. Recently, the winery has set itself a new winemaking challenge--entrusting itself, in accord with its beliefs, to Divine Providence--, the production of two classic-method sparkling wines made from Moscato Reale, a Pas Dosé and a Brut, Estasi in Armonia * Millesimato 2013 and * Estasi in Sinfonia * Millesimato 2013, respectively. These wines are at present truly one-of-a-kind in the world, uncompromising, pristine expressions of their grape and of their growing area. Best wishes. “I thank Divine Providence who enlightens me and assists me in the work that I do and in that that which I can never do.” vigneron Franco di Filippo
