Vinarte and DieciNoni: Success Stories in Agropoli with Neapolis oven

How passion fuels curiosity and innovation

Agropoli is one of the first towns along the splendid Cilento coast, renowned for its beauty and as the cradle of the Mediterranean diet, now a UNESCO heritage.

Here, we met Elio Santosuosso, founder of Vinarte and DieciNoni, who shared his professional journey, beginning with his innate passion at home and later his encounter with Giancarlo Casa, owner of La Gatta Mangiona, a landmark in Rome and a pivotal figure in Elio’s career.

 

“It was partly by chance and partly intentional,” says Elio. “Being the son of restaurateurs, I grew up in the family restaurant. When I moved to Rome to study cinema, I worked to support myself, and during that time, I met Giancarlo Casa. He took me under his wing, and at just 23, he signed me up for the ‘Emergente Pizza’ competition by Luigi Cremona, which I won in 2015. That’s when I realised my future was in the restaurant industry, particularly pizza, and I decided to leave my studies to dedicate myself fully to it.”

 

In 2019, Elio returned to Agropoli to open Vinarte. Over the years, he has earned significant awards, including “2 spicchi” in the Gambero Rosso guide and becoming one of the “Excellent Pizzerias” in the 50 Top Pizza rankings.

 

“When I decided to return to Agropoli, I wanted to create something unique. I took over a wine bar, keeping the name as it was well-known in the town. However, I felt something was missing, so I decided to introduce baked products. It’s been five years now, and we’ve become a local reference point. With Vinarte’s success, we then opened DieciNoni [link], a pizzeria that stands out for its focus on pairing pizza with cocktails, offering a younger and more dynamic gastronomic experience.”

 

DieciNoni was born out of a desire to offer a different experience, geared toward an aperitif-dinner concept, with a focus on signature cocktails. The venue, more intimate with fewer seats than Vinarte, allows Elio and his team to experiment with various doughs and toppings. Among their specialties are the “quadrotto” of Roman “pala” and pizzas that undergo a double bake, showcasing Elio’s versatility and creativity, made possible with Neapolis ovens in both pizzerias.

 

“The cleanliness and efficiency were decisive factors in choosing the oven for both restaurants. Having a wood-fired oven entails several complications, especially in terms of maintenance and operation. Neapolis has made everything simpler and smarter, both ecologically and practically. In addition, it’s an incredibly versatile oven, suitable for all types of pizzas and baking methods, from high temperatures for contemporary pizzas to lower ones for bread and pan pizzas.”

 

Currently, the two venues produce about 300 pizzas per week at DieciNoni and 1,200 pizzas at Vinarte.

The choice of Neapolis has proven in a superior ease of use and baking consistency—crucial benefits when handling such numbers.

In both pizzerias, the ovens are in plain view, so we asked Elio how much the aesthetic aspect of Neapolis influenced his decision. “The design was a key factor,” he explains. “Especially in the second pizzeria, DieciNoni, the oven is not just a functional element but a true piece of decor around which we built the entire concept of the venue.”

 

“Cleanliness, consistency, and aesthetics“—these are the three words Elio uses to define Neapolis.

 

When asked which pizza holds a special place in his heart, Elio smiles and replies, “Definitely the Gricia. It was born from a mistake. One day, I was supposed to caramelise some onions, but I left them cooking too long, and they became tough and ‘marmalade-like.’ We didn’t know what to do with them, so I decided to put them on a pizza. The result was surprising, and today it’s one of our most popular.”

 

There’s also a focus on Cilento’s local products, with Slow Food presidia like “cacioricotta” cheese and traditional recipes such as “Ciambotta,” a stew made of eggplant, potatoes, and peppers.

 

Elio’s story shows how passion drives curiosity and the research of the best technologies and ingredients to create a unique menu, building a successful business that can be replicated.