Nestled on the hillsides of the lower valley of the Neto River, the Cappa estate, where the Cellar and the vineyards are located, extends to the north side of the ancient Marchesato of Crotone. Legend has it that some Achaeans, the Troy Warriors, land on the coasts where the Neto River is thrown into the Ionian Sea. Troy women, tired of pounding without a precise goal, burned the Achaean ships forcing them to fix their dwelling in the territory of Kroton, populated by the Greeks. At the river they gave the name "NET" (Neaithos), a clear etymological reference to "burned ships". Reached by other Achaeans, they settled along the fertile river valley and hillsides close to it, until reaching the old Petelia (Strongoli) where, later, the vine culture occupied a prominent place, as the land renowned for the production of the oldest quality of wine, the AMINEA, whose legend has been written, is confused with that of the Gods, so to exclaim to Virgil "Sunt, atque, Amineae vites firmissima vina". It is believed that the amine is a precious variety of lives imported from Thessaly (the region of ancient Greece) from which originated the founders of Amina, the ancient name of Petelia. The valley of Neto, located in the heart of the old marquisate of Crotone, over time represented a strategic center for agricultural development. It is in this valley that the great barons established their activities, extended the great landfill and began in the post-war period, the refurbishment of a modern agriculture where the vineyards represented the centrality in the revival of the local economy. The farm mainly deals with wine, oil, citrus, vegetable and tomato processing.
For several generations, the Cappa family is involved in many agricultural activities in the territory of the Marchesato di Crotone, among which the production of grapes historically transferred to the Torre Melissa and Val di Neto social cellars as a member. The Val di Neto winery was born in 1967 at the impetus of the OVS (Opera Valorizzazione Sila), today A.R.S.S.A., associating in cooperative almost all the small big winegrowers of the Crotonese Alto Marchesato. In the social milieu there will be more than 400. After the agricultural reform which in fact saw the beginning of its application after the "Fragalà's Coke" of October 1949, viticulture will be the primary activity in this area, where the ancient Indigenous varieties, dating to some even the Phoenicians, still find their best habitat.
The Val di Neto winery has contributed to giving a strong and peculiar identity to the viticulture of the entire Crotone brand, introducing and developing the modern vinification techniques. The severe economic crisis of the late 90s associated with a physiological inertia of management, leads to the liquidation of the Neto Cooperative. The mission, however, continues with an eng. Nicola Cappa, which through the Val di Neto S.r.l., which is granted the old Scandale structure, brings together the primary grape producers. Today, the new cellar is located within the Cappa farm estate, covering 170 hectares, of which 20 are grown in vineyards and
production of DOC wines Melissa and IGT Val di Neto. Here, the grapes produced by the agricultural company Liguori Carla, who have registered the brand, have taken over the management of the Armando Cappa Sas farm. The primary objective is still to maintain the ancient identity of a generous territory and beautiful, continuing on the road to innovation in respect of the traditions and history that have characterized this area of Calabria since the era of Magna Grecia.
The most cultivated varieties within the agricultural estate are: Gaglioppo and Greco nero for red and rosé wines, White greek and Malvasia for white wines, but also Aglianico, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
