Since the last Map Update we have made two trips to Italy. Here is a summary by region of vineyards, tasting rooms, enoteca, lodging, olive oil producers and restaurants visited. Please click on the word map (above on this post), which is between the words home and about.
New additions to the map include seven vineyards located in eastern Sicilia; five of which are located in the Mt. Etna area; seven are located in Basilicata; of which only one is located in Vulture, as the others are located in Southern Basilicata all within an hour drive of my grandparents’ hometown of Corleto Perticara; and five are located in Campania. All the wine makers adhere to sustainable viticulture and many are certified organic. With these additions, over the past nine years we have visited 83 different vineyards/cantine in Southern Italy.
Two excellent restaurants have been added to the map: Vini e Cucina located in Pozzuoli, NA and Ristorante Megaron located in Paternopoli, AV. Two comfortable overnight accommodations have been added: Il Nido Dell’Etna located in Linguaglossa, CT and Terrazza San Giorgio, Modica, RG. Lastly, and importantly, an enoteca has been added to the map: Vinetna, located in Linguaglossa, CT. When we are in a new city or town, we search for an enoteca to serve as a local source of information. In Roma we have L’Angolo Divino as our “go to” enoteca, and now in the Mt. Etna area we have Vinetna to serve as our “go to” enoteca.
Here are some quick observations on the vineyards visited. The Mt. Etna wines are stellar. We understand why this area is one of the most popular in Italy. The volcanic influence on the nerello mascalese grape, the primary grape of Mt. Etna Rosso wine results in an elegant wine. Mt. Etna Bianco wines are not to be overlooked as they too are enjoyable. Carricante is the primary grape, and the Catarrato and Minella Bianca grapes are sometimes blended with Carricante. The wines from Siracusa and Modica, Ragusa are equal to the Mt Etna wines. Red wines are made primarily with the Nero D’Avolo grape. Cantine Gulino in Siracusa makes an interesting and delicious white wine with 100% Albanello grape, the only winery to do so.
Camerlengo, the only new winery we visited in the Vulture area, produces a range of labels in an organic/natural manner. There are no chemical interventions in the vineyard or the cellar.
The Southern Basilicata wineries are located in the most remote area of Italy. It took us nine years to visit these wineries! The wineries make wine with a variety grapes including the indigineous Guarnaccino (600 Grotte and is the only winery that makes wine with this grape), Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata (Torre Rosano) and Aglianico (L’Arcera), indigeneous grapes from Toscano and international grapes. The common thread with the Southern Basilicata wineries is the adherence to the organic and natural production of wine. Other than Pisani (60,000 bottles per annum), all the other wineries produce less than 20,000 bottles per annum; L’Arcera (5,000) and Di Blasiis (2,000) the two smallest.
Two of the Campania wineries are located in Irpinia: Fiorentino and Stefania Barbot. Both are part of the group of new Irpinia wineries that produce organic Aglianico based wines. The annual production of each winery is less than 15,000 bottles. Two Campania wineries are located in Salerno; Casula Vinaria, which is located about 20 miles east of the City of Salerno and Colli Corsicano, which is located in the Cilento area of Salerno. Both adhere to organic methods in the vineyard and in the cellar. The fifth winery is located in Caserta, Gennaro Papa, which is located in the heart of the Falerno del Massico wine area. Papa is a natural/organic producer; no chemical interventions and native yeasts.
