“Everyone makes wine the correct way; no two make it the same way.“

The above quote is an observation of the author who has visited 122 Southern Italian producers and wineries, many several times. We have made many friends, all of who shared their winemaking techniques. Our friends provided us with tastings accompanied by local food and shared certain cultural features of their area. This post will first highlight a few examples of unique food followed by a discussion of a couple of cultural experiences. The last section of the post will be a discussion of various winemaking techniques and includes a list the the 122 producers and wineries that we have visited in Southern Italy (we have been to six of the eight Southern Italy Regions – not Abruzzo or Sardegna).

Our first visit In May of 2010 was at Terre del Principe located in Castel Campagnano, Caserta. We were overwhelmed with what I have commonly referred to as “Southern Hospitality”. Manuela Piancastelli and Peppe Mancini, in the above photo, provided us a tasting of their wines accompanied by a five course lunch. Over the years we have experienced Southern Hospitality from other producers and wineries. These visits have been educational as we learned not only about wine making techniques, but also, about a family’s history with wine, and its concern over the future of the wine sector. And as pointed out above, we learned about local foods and cultural sites.

For example, we enjoyed a regional and obscure pasta, Maccaranata. This pasta from the Irpinia wine region is made with a serrated rolling pin. Its origin is open for attribution as the localities of Castelfranci (where we had the pasta), Montemarano and Castelvenere sul Calaore all claim to be the originator of the pasta. We had another obscure regional pasta in the Lecce, Salento wine area; Ciceri e Tria, which is a type of a fried pasta. For a different dessert, while on the Amalfi Coast we had Melanzane di Cioccolato, fried egg plant with chocolate.

As for cultural sites we visited a small church that was built circa 500 AD located next to a winery on the Amalfi Coast and Julius Caesar’s summer residence next to a vineyard in the Bacoli, Campi Flegrei wine area.

There were many more food and cultural highlights from our visits, but the author wants the balance of the post to focus on the various techniques of winemaking in both the vineyard and in the cellar. In the vineyard chemical sprays, organic applications, fertilizers, fava beans, herbs, natural landscape, roses, bees are some of the products used by the producers and winemakers. Some applications are mutually exclusive. For example, one cannot be organic and use chemical sprays.

In the cellar there are differing approaches on fermentation and the extent to which intervention is used to produce wine. For example, we have observed several types of fermentation including spontaneous fermentation (natural fermentation from yeasts from grapes and the environment), pied de cuve fermentation (a spontaneous fermentation in which small batches of grapes are fermented prior to harvest and introduced when harvest is completed; a “starter” yeast), fermentation with neutral selected yeasts, and fermentation with flavored yeasts (one year some of the white wine in a particular area had strong hints of banana).

There are a couple variations of spontaneous fermentation that left an indelible impression. One is spontaneous spontaneous with the assistance of music. This particular winemaker had difficulty with fermentation starting., Based upon advice of a colleague, the winemaker blasted the Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” in the cantina and fermentation soon commenced. Each subsequent year grapes are fermented to music with the “fermentation song” listed on the back label.

Second are two obsessive fastidious producers who go to great lengths to keep their cellars free of non-indigenous yeasts. One winemaker hosed down the walls of the cantina after our visit and another winemaker made us wear a plastic wrap around our shoes before we entered the cantina. The thought is that these protective measures lessen the likelihood of non-indigenous yeasts from being introduced into a cantina.

Some winemakers start with spontaneous fermentation. If the fermentation sputters or become “stuck” (meaning that the indigenous yeasts are not completing the fermentation) they will add neutral selected yeasts to boost fermentation.

Another decision in the cellar is what additives, if any, are added to the wine. The United States allows up to 60 additives to be included in wine, some to clarify the wine, others to preserve it and a couple to change the taste profile. A few of the producers and wineries we visited add nothing to their wine. Others will intervene minimally by adding only sulfites at bottling. The range of intervention is wide as there are many additives for a winemaker to consider. At one end of spectrum is no additives added and at the other end of the spectrum is altering the taste profile by adding Rossissimo (in Italy) or Mega Purple (in the United States). These taste changing additives, which are derived from grapes, are added to darken the color, “sweeten” and/or remove perceived “defects” in the wine. As one of our “low intervention” winemaker friends told us, if you give me “defective” wine juice, I can make it commercially viable with the use of additives.

Winemakers have several additives and procedures to clarify or fine wine. Before bottling, winemakers may use additives such as bentonite, egg whites, and gelatin to fine wine or they may use mechanical devices to filter wine. A more natural way to filter wine is to let the wine settle over time or racking the wine.

Another important decision for winemakers is how long wine ferments and ages and in what type and size of a vessel; oak, chestnut, amphora, steel, cement or some other type of vessel.

Because of the many options in the vineyard and in the cellar, it is understandable why no two producers and wineries make wine in the same manner. Consumers may have a preference for a certain style or type of wine: no intervention, minimal intervention, indigenous versus selected yeasts, no additives versus the use of them up to and including flavor changing additives, oak or steel or amphora or cement or chestnut or other type of vessel. In the final analysis however the wine is made, it must be enjoyable to drink.

CAMPANIA

Irpinia (Avellino)

Antico Castello – San Mango sul Calore, Antonio Caggiano – Taurasi, Bambinuto – Santa Paolina, Barone di Luigi Sarno – Cesinali, Boccella – Castelfranci, Cantina delle Collina – Solofra, Cantine Lonardo – Taurasi, Case d’Alto – Grottaminarda, Cavalier Pepe – Sant’ Angelo all’ Esca, Ciro Picariello – Taurasi, Corte dei Roberto – Greci,, Dell’Angelo – Tufo, De Santis – Montemiletto, Di Meo – Salza Irpinia, Di Pietro – Melito Irpino, Ferrara Benito Ferrara Gabriella – San Paolo di Tufo, Fiorentino – Paternopoli, Guagagno – Taurasi, Guastaferro – Taurasi, Il Canciellere – Montemarano, Jonathan Fiore – Montemiletto, La Cantina di Enza – Montemarano, Luigi Tecce – Paternopoli, Michele Perillo – Castelfranci, Quintodecimo – Mirabella Eclano, Salvatore Molettieri – Montemarano, Selle della Spine – Taurasi, Sertura Vini d’ Irpinia – Montefalcione, Sole & Lupo – Lapio, Stefania Barbot – Paternopoli, Ventitre` Filari – Montefredane, Villa Raiano – San Michele di Serino, Vincenzo Nardone – Venticano

Cilento/Mt Alburni(Salerno)

Casebianche – Torchiaria, Cinzia Maucione – Aquara, De Conciliis – Prignano Cilento, Fasanella – Sant’Angelo a Fasanella, Il Colle del Corscicano – Castellabate, Luigi Maffini – Giungano, Rossella Cicalese – Perdifumo, Salvatore Magnoni – Rutino, San Giovanni – Santa Maria di Castellabate, Tredaniele – Trantinara, Verrone – Agropoli

Salerno and near the City

Casa di Baal – Macchia di Montecorvino Rovello, Casula Vinaria – Campagna, Cosimato – Baronissi, Lunarossa – Griffoni Valle Piano, Mila Vuolo – Giovi di Salerno, Villa Lupara – Cava de Tirreni

Amalfi Coast/Salerno

Apicella – Tramonti, Casa Esposito – Scala, Le Vigne di Raito – Raito di Vietri sul Mare, Monte di Grazia – Tramonti, Reale – Tramonti, Tagliaferro – Tramonti

Campi Flegrei/Napoli

Agnanum – Agnano di Napoli, Astroni – Napoli, La Sibilla – Bacoli, Montespina Iovino

Vesuvio/Napoli

Cantina del Vesuvio – Trecase, Contea di Sylvia Mala – Trecase, FloraMi – Trecase

Benevento

Antica Masseria Venditti – Castelvenere, Laurenti – Ponte, Mustilli – Sant’Agata de Goti

Terre del Volturno/Caserta

Nanni Cope` – Vitulazio, Teresa Mincione – Caiazzo, Terre del Principe – Castel Campagnano

Falerno del Massico/Caserta

Gennaro Papa – Falerno Massico, Regina Viarum – Falerno Massico

Roccamonfina/Caserta

Galardi – Sessa Aurunca

BASILICATA

Vulture

Basilisco – Barile, Cantina del Notaio – Rionero in Vulture, Camerlengo – Rapolla, Carbone – Melfi, Casa Vinicola D’Angelo – Rionero in Vulture, Colli Cerentino – Rionero in Vulture, Elena Fucci – Barile, Eubea – Rionero in Vulture, Michele Laluce – Venosa, Musto Carmeltano – Maschito, Paternoster – Barile, Tenuta le Querce – Barile, Vigne Mastrodominico – Barile

Producers/Wineries near my Grandparents Home Town of Corleto Perticara, Potenza

600 Grotte – Chiaromonte, Alte Vigne della Val Camastra – Anzi, Biologica Pisani – Viggiano, De Blasiis – Viggiano, Luigi Iacoletti l’Acera – Viggiano, Torre Rosano – Roccanova

PUGLIA

Salento

Antica Masseria Jorche, Torricella, Cantina San Donaci – San Donaci, Cantine Paololeo, San Donaci, Fabiana – San Giorgio Ianico, Feudi di Guagnano -Guagnano, Gianfranco Fino – Manduria, Luca Attanasio – Manduria, Morella – Manduria

Murgia

Botromagno – Gravina in Puglia, Cantina Pantun – Mottola, Pietraventosa – Gioia del Colle, Plantamura – Gioia del Colle, Polvanera – Gioia del Colle

Foggia

Antica Enotria – Cerignola

CALABRIA

Crotone/Ciro Marina

‘A Vita – Ciro Marina, Cataldo Calabretta – Ciro Marina, Ceraudo – Strongoli, Du Cropio – Ciro Marina, Sergio Arcuri – Ciro Marina

Cosenza

Pacelli – Malvito, Terre di Balbia – Altomonte

SICILIA

Mt Etna/Catania

Palmento Costanza – Passopisciero, Papa Maria Cuore di Marchesa – Castiglione di Sicilia, Quantico – Liguaglossa, Santa Maria La Nave – Cantania, Valenti – Passopisciero

Southeastern Sicily

Gulino – Siracusa, Terrasol – Frigintini di Modica

MOLISE

Cieri – Termoli, La Cantina di Remo – Ferrazzano, VINICA -Ripalimosani

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