Francesco Winspeare
Sales
General Manager

 

 

 

Francesco Winspeare is the childhood friend, playmate and sharer of that dream. When he is at the winery, Castel di Salve seems to be the hub of the world: wine tourists and travellers who pass through; journalists who ask for an appointment; orders which arrive from Switzerland or the United States. The cellar is full of voices conversing in many different languages. It is immediately obvious that Francesco has a cosmopolitan nature and culture. You understand that he has the light in his eyes which comes from this land of Finisterra where he grew up and lives but he does not share the melancholy which is also part of this land. He looks after the administration and public relations and the selling of wines. He is said to be pragmatic. But we can’t forget the Salento part of his cosmopolotanism: citizen of the world with his shoes steeped in red earth. His colouring is Nordic which is not surprising when we look at the family history: distant English origins, an Austro-Hungarian mother. But yet in his clothes he chooses the colours and tones of his vines and the karstic rocks, mossy, lichen-covered and luminous with dew in the Salento springtime.
So his origins are English, the family came from naples in the eighteenth century and several generations stayed there acquiring noble titles, military and political fame and cultural glory. The Salento history of the family commenced in the second half of the nineteenth century, when Antonio Winspeare, inherited the title of Baron and came to Lecce with the important post of Prefect. He also acquired the title of Duke of Salve when he married the daughter of the prince of Tricase. Since that time the family has continued to live in the castle in Depressa (near Tricase) where Antonio also founded a winery and got a French oenologist to come and make the wine. As we can see certain passions and ideas are hereditary. That oenolgist was called Simone Murat!