A visit to L'Astore Masseria was the last stop on a 20km cycling tour around Grecia Salentina. And what a stop it was - it included a wine tasting of their glorious wines accompanied by a table full of beautiful food made from local produce. All in a shady, tranquil garden setting. Long-time English refugee Leanne was a wonderful and entertaining host. Definitely worth a visit.
After contacting (requesting info from) many wineries in preparation for our 2-week visit to Puglia, Lee Ann at L'Astore was one of the few that actually responded. We corresponded a bit via email, setting up the date/time of our visit. Lee Ann was always prompt with her replies/answers, which was very appreciated.On the day of our visit, we were a little late as we had some difficulties finding the property (I was not prepared with directions as I should have been). Lee Ann said no worries. She gave us a wonderful, relaxed tour of the old oil production areas and then the winery. All very interesting. It was really laid back and enjoyable. We did not feel the slightest bit rushed.At the end of the tour, Lee Ann had a table spread with all kinds of goodies for us to taste/sample. As she spoke in depth about the items, we sampled most of the property's multiple wines and olive oil. All very delicious! Lee Ann is excellent in her position with the masseria. She makes you feel right at home.L'Astore Masseria is well worth a visit and is centrally located in Puglia! We are very glad we took the time to enjoy it.
Traveling with two other long time couple friends and today will be a memory all will cherish for the rest of our lives. It will definitely be one of the top highlights of our time in Puglia. We spent the morning cooking with Claudia and Lee Ann as our translator. Beyond fabulous from start to finish. A tour of the ancient olive oil mill and new wine cellars given by Lee Ann was wonderful and she was so patient answering all of our questions about the masseria, oil,production and wine making.....and we had an abundance of them. Lunch followed the tour in their formal,dining room....the various wines we tasted with the different courses were excellent. Their charge is not comparable to others......very reasonable.Adding l'Astore Masseria to your itinerary should be a must!!!!!
Spent the afternoon at their boutique vineyard and loved every minute of it. The tour of the original olive press, the new wine cellar and stories of the past told by the owner really made a lasting impression. All five wines that we tasted in addition to the local food pairings presented by LeeAnne showcased the quality of L'Astore Masseria. A highlight of our Puglia trip and will definitely be back. The only regret is that we only bought two bottles.
We toured L'Astore Masseria in January 2014 With Lee-ann. This was a great stop and I don't even drink wine. My wife likes wine so this was mainly for her. The incredibly old olive oil mill on property was very interesting and not a job anyone today would want today. Then we tasted the wines made there. As I said, I'm not a wine drinker but the white wine produced there was very goodand I wife adored the reds. After, Lee-ann gave us a little tour of the property and house that has rentals. We'd like to go back and stay at least a few days sometime. Our stay this time was only a few hours but Lee-ann made us feel at home. If your going anywhere near this part of the world, make it a point to include this hidden gem.
I went to L'Astore Masseria as part of a small group tour. It it a delightful place. We had a wonderful lunch and wine tasting, followed by a tour of the grounds and underground oil press. Everything was terrific!
It is a very nice place with good wine. We bought 200 euros worth of wine, yet we still had to pay for our wine tasting (20 euros per person for 5 wines with a few taralli, olives and dried tomatoes). At all other places in Salento, if you buy at least a case of wine (we bought 4 cases here), the cantina usually waives the tasting charge. We think that should be the case here as well.
We had lunch here on an Odyssey Tour and took home 6 wines, all excellent price to value. Highly recommended. The restored underground Olive "factory" and expanded wine storage vaults were beautiful. Learned how to taste Olive Oil, so bought some as well. Everything is organic and produced on site.
The staff,the food, the atmosphere,so Italian...So great flavor,prepared food with excellence. You feel so great anticipating the top quality of the various menu selections prepared wonderfully!
A guided tour around the stunning 15th century cellars followed by wine and food. Really interesting trip and our guide Leanne brought it to life with her enthusiasm and knowledge. Bonus of tasting some of L'Astore olive oil and wines. Great experience.