San Patrignano near Rimini in the north Italian province of Emilia-Romagna represents one of the most successful and unusual ventures in the Italian wine world, a project that weds dedication to the land to a humanitarian effort.

Founded in 1978 by Vincenzo Muccioli, San Patrignano is a close-knit community providing support and refuge to individuals and families whose lives have been affected by drug addiction. Winemaking numbers among the community’s first, best-known and most successful endeavours. San Patrignano wines are created from vineyard to bottle by members of this special community and sold both in Italy and abroad.

The wines of San Patrignano have earned accolades from many highly regarded sources including Gambero Rosso, Italy’s premier wine guide, and wine writer Robert Parker.

In recent years San Patrignano has attracted the pro bono participation of the famed consulting winemaker, Riccardo Cotarella. Cotarella brings a sense of strategic vision and heightened levels of consistency at a winery already considered by many to belong in the first rank.