1665

It is the year 1665. Amid the lush vineyards of that time, Oronzo Arcangelo Maria Francesco dei Conti di Lemos founded the winery.
The founder became passionate about such a fertile and rich land and understood its value. After the first years of working and transforming the product, he returned to Spain, sold some properties, came back, and invested the proceeds in Salento lands.
Around Salice, Guagnano, Veglie, Villa Baldassarri, Novoli, Campi, and San Pancrazio, he became the owner of several thousand hectares, on which he planted not only new vineyards but also olive and wheat crops.

1800

At the beginning of the 19th century, the winery began a phase of strong commercial expansion, starting to export raw wine to some of the most dynamic markets of the time: the United States, Germany, and France. This step marked the company’s entry into the international scene, consolidating its reputation beyond national borders and laying the foundations for growth that would develop in the following decades.

1925

In 1925, the marriage between lawyer Don Piero Leone Plantera and Donna Maria Luisa de Castris (the last heir of her family) marked a fundamental turning point.
From this union came the decision to:

• Begin bottling wine, a pioneering innovation for Puglia.
• Combine their surnames, creating the name "Leone de Castris."
• Concentrate production in the de Castris winery, which thus became the Leone de Castris winery.

In short, the 1925 marriage not only united two prestigious families but also initiated a new era for local wine production, with the introduction of bottling and the creation of a brand destined to become a reference point in the sector.

1943

A historic moment came in 1943 with the birth of Five Roses, the company’s most famous wine and the first Italian rosé to be bottled and marketed, immediately destined for export to the United States.
The story of this wine is still remembered today as one of the most significant events in the winery’s centuries-long history. In fact, there is an area in the Salice Salentino estate called “Cinque Rose,” named because for generations the Leone de Castris family consistently had five children each. Toward the end of the war, General Charles Poletti, commissioner for Allied forces’ supplies, requested a large supply of rosé wine, with grapes coming precisely from the Cinque Rose area. But the general wanted a wine with an American name, and it did not take long to find one: thus was born “Five Roses.”

1954

In 1954, with that year’s harvest, Salice Leone de Castris was born. Thanks to its distribution both in Italy and abroad, in the early 1970s it received recognition as a Denomination of Controlled Origin (DOC) Salice Salentino. This prestigious milestone brought further market growth, encouraging other companies to enter the sector.

2000

The history of this family and the winery continues. Cavaliere del Lavoro Salvatore Leone de Castris, son of Piero and Lisetta, contributed to significant development – including internationally – of the company. For twenty years, his son Dr. Piernicola has been leading it. Increasingly prestigious awards are constantly attributed to the entire product range.

2009

In 2009, the Wine Museum was established as a tribute to Piero and Salvatore Leone de Castris, fundamental figures in the winery’s history. This exhibition space was created to narrate the company’s winemaking heritage and its deep connection with the Salento territory, offering visitors a journey through time.

2014

In 2014, the first Five Roses Wine Bar was inaugurated, a new space dedicated to wine lovers and the celebration of the Leone de Castris tradition. Designed to offer a welcoming and refined environment, the Wine Bar Five Roses allows visitors to discover and appreciate the winery’s wines, paired with local gastronomic specialties.
In 2019, the Five Roses Wine Bar No. 2 opened in Lecce.

2017

In 2017, the Leone de Castris Wine Hotel Villa Donna Lisa Concept was launched, representing a new approach to hospitality.

2025

Today, the new generation is represented by Piersalvatore and Marialuisa Leone de Castris, a symbol of a centuries-old heritage and the continuity of the family tradition, looking toward the future.