HISTORY

The first records of the Conti vineyard belonging to the Gatto family date back to the first half of the 19th century.

At that time, Antonino Gatto, a native of San Filippo, moved with his wife and children Salvatore and Candeloro to Larderia, in one of the active mills that lined the stream in the San Biagio district.

The activity of the mill engaged the Gatto spouses in the production of flour, while the sons Salvatore and Candeloro were its delivery workers and it was during one of these deliveries to the Monastery of Misericordia in Larderia that the poor Salvatore, getting ready to a source for refreshing himself from fatigue, he was bitten by a viper.

Fortune or divine will, he wanted the monks to take care of Salvatore, who during the convalescence spent in the monastery felt the strong desire to consecrate himself to God, thus undertaking the path to become the chaplain of Larderia. During his priesthood, in one of his family's lands, Salvatore built the patronal church of Mercy which still belongs to the Gatto family today.

In the sixties the war arrived and the two brothers called to arms had to leave their parents who unfortunately on their return they no longer found because they were victims of an accident.

Taking refuge in faith and work, but marked by the war and the serious loss of their parents, Salvatore and Candeloro began to manage the family mill which, thanks to their skills, began to yield so much to allow them to buy and reclaim land that they used for cultivation of vineyards and citrus groves.

While Salvatore became a priest, Candeloro met the young Vittoria with whom he married and had seven children, the youngest of whom, Santi, on the recommendation of his uncle Salvatore, was educated in schools up to the age of 17, with the probable intent of providing him with the notions necessary to manage family assets.

Unfortunately, however, in 1903 Salvatore died suddenly and the properties continued to be administered by his brother Candeloro until in 1924 he also died and all the assets were divided between the five children since two of them died at a young age.

A part of the land planted with vineyards was assigned to Santi, Salvatore's favorite nephew, and one of these vineyards, the "Conti", was then inherited by Santi's youngest son, Matteo.

In 2007 Matteo and his eldest son Santi started the Azienda Agricola Gatto, explanting the old vineyard and replacing it with a modern plant, characterized by the native varieties of the Doc Faro, thus giving rise to the "Chiano Conti", the original name of the lands of the same name.

In 2017, the company was transferred from Matteo to his son Santi and thus Tenuta Gatto was born.

From 2019 the production of the white "Ardalìa" (original Greek name of Larderia) began, an IGT produced from the white vinification of Nerello Mascalese.

Santi follows all the manufacturing processes of Chiano Conti and Ardalìa, from the cultivation of the vineyards to the creation of the finished product and the subsequent promotion and sale.

In 2020 the production of the "Mussarussi" aromatized wine was started, obtained by putting into practice an ancient traditional recipe of Messina called "Amarena".