Paternoster: 100 Years of Vulture. A Story of Family, Territory and Vision
From 1925 to today, the iconic winery of Vulture celebrates a century of history with the “Cantina del Barone Rotondo” project and the new wine Barone Rotondo, a tribute to the tradition and future of Aglianico.
A century of history, volcanic land, and a name that has become synonymous with Aglianico del Vulture. Founded in 1925 in Barile, Basilicata, Paternoster is among the most historic and renowned wineries in Southern Italy, a pioneer in bringing Vulture to tables around the world.
Represented today by the fourth generation, with winemaker Fabio Mecca Paternoster, and owned by Tommasi Family Estates since 2016, the winery is celebrating its one hundred years of activity: a milestone that unites family pride and future vision, with new projects looking toward tomorrow in the spirit of continuity.
“This centenary is a milestone I feel deeply personal,” says Fabio Mecca Paternoster, “but it’s also a starting point. Paternoster is the story of a territory and a family that believed in Vulture when no one else did. Today we celebrate the past while looking ahead, with the same pioneering spirit as my great-grandfather Anselmo, but with new tools and ideas.“
“Paternoster’s centenary perfectly represents our Family’s philosophy and corporate vision,” adds Giancarlo Tommasi, winemaker and technical director of Tommasi Family Estates. “Enhancing unique and authentic territories, providing expertise, research, and investment to build the future. Vulture has extraordinary potential, and Paternoster will continue to be its benchmark. The Cantina del Barone Rotondo project and the new hospitality center were born precisely for this purpose: to continue telling the story of Vulture to the world.“
At the heart of this journey lies the Cantina del Barone Rotondo, an ancient seventeenth-century ice house carved into volcanic rock and once entrusted to Baron Nicola Rotondo. Reborn as the Caveau dell’Aglianico, the Cantina del Barone Rotondo is today the symbolic heart of the Paternoster estate: a place of memory and magic, where time and matter tell the story of Vulture.
From this unique heritage also comes Barone Rotondo, the Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG, which celebrates the roots while looking to the future. Produced from historic vineyards at six hundred meters altitude and the result of manual and rigorous viticulture, it ages for years in wood, steel, and bottle before revealing itself with elegance and power. A rare wine—only 2,500 bottles—that translates into the glass the same dialogue between roots and future that guided the restoration of the Cantina del Barone Rotondo.
2025 also marked the launch of a renewal project for the Paternoster headquarters, designed to expand the hospitality and wine tourism experience. The goal is to create a center open to local residents and visitors, capable of particularly capitalizing on tourist flows from Matera and Puglia, transforming Vulture into a trending destination in the wine tourism landscape of Southern Italy.
The renewal also extends to the digital realm: with the new website, Paternoster opens itself to a contemporary narrative made of images, stories, and people, balancing tradition and modernity.
The coming months will be filled with events dedicated to the territory, partners, and the wine community, starting with an Open Day in December: a tribute to the history of a winery that for one hundred years has brought the volcanic soul of Basilicata to the world.
Paternoster. For one hundred years, Vulture as a vision.
100 Years Project