Sant'Elena

Situated in Gradisca d’Isonzo, the estate of Sant'Elena was established by the Klodic, a dignified and powerful family of the region, in the late nineteenth century. At the intersection of North-Eastern Italy and the Slovenian border, in years past Gradisca d'Isonzo was a site of political turmoil, having changed hands from the Hapsburg dynasty, to the Venetians, the Austria-Hungarian empire, the Slavs, and finally becoming a part of Italy post-World War II. To this day, one hears numerous languages spoken in the area, including Italian, Slovenian, Friulian, and German, as reflects the region’s storied history. Exactly why the Klodic family chose the name "Sant’Elena" remains a mystery, as no surviving documentation exists. It might have been in honor of Flavia Julia Helena Augusta, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, credited with having discovered the fragments of the True Cross and the tomb of Jesus at the rock of Golgotha. It also might have been after the mythological figure of Helen of Troy, known for her stunning beauty, and whose abduction brought about the Trojan War. Acquired by Dominic Nocerino in the late nineteen-nineties, Sant'Elena now finds herself on the path to modernity, with the singular goal of producing wines of the highest caliber. With over a century of growing history, Sant'Elena became fully dedicated to wine production as early as the nineteen-sixties, yet significant improvements of the past decade have taken the product’s quality level to new heights. Entirely new vineyards were planted in 2000, and a state-of-the-art cantina now exists, constructed in 2004. Sant'Elena's ceaseless pursuit of quality is monitored from vineyard to cantina under the guidance of Friulian Winemaker Maurizio Drascek and Enologist Stefano Porcinai.

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