Casa Comerci was founded in the late 1800s by Francesco Comerci, a man of extreme tenacity and courage. Despite having two daughters, which at the time was a disgrace in this conservative part of the world, he actually delighted in teaching them to appreciate the beauty of the land. Michelina grew up to love olive trees; Rosina the grape vines. In fact it was Rosina who then naturally followed in the footsteps of her father and dedicated her life to winemaking. Quite fortuitously, she married the local barrel maker and together they had seven wonderful children. Unfortunately after his untimely death Rosina had to muster all the courage that was passed down from her father and go it alone in the wine business. She was particularly close to her last born, Salvatore, whom she nicknamed Micuccio in honour of her late husband, and decided to put in charge of the family business.
Salvatore, however, had other ideas. He studied to become a lawyer and, as many of his fellow students did at that time and now too, moved to northern Italy, which was seen as the land of opportunity. He settled down in Emilia Romagna, and found it surprisingly similar to his native Calabria, thanks to its people’s close relationship with the land. Of course, when he emigrated he did not leave anything to chance. Casa Comerci was left in the capable hands of wine experts that were on the ground, visiting twice a year to taste the wines and manage quality control. He, in turn, also passed on this passion for oenology to his own children.
So now we arrive in the present day and come to (the second) Domenicantonio… just as his grandfather did in the century before, he decided to throw himself into the world of wine to honour his forebears. This time, however, not as a barrel maker, but as an actual winemaker.
It was not an easy choice, seeing as Emilia Romagna is at the opposite end of Italy’s boot, but he was convinced it was the right thing to do. Together with his sons Francesco and Federico, he decided to revive Casa Comerci, which had been laying dormant for several years. More land was acquired over time and now the area boasts 30 hectares, split evenly between vineyards and olive groves. What makes his wines so special is that they are all single-varietals, and all made respecting the local terroir, climate and growing conditions. Magliocco Canino is the most important grape variety and is native to Calabria.
The company had a renaissance thanks to Domenicantonio Silipo and his adult children, Francesco and Federico.