The Cantine Astroni wineries are a unique example of 'metropolitan' winemaking, in one of the largest cities on Italian soil. Close to the heavy urban development of Naples, the vineyards bordered by the Astroni Park climb up the tuffaceous-volcanic hills, sinking their roots into a history that is intertwined with myth and legend. "Campania felix" was the name with which the Greek historian Polybius described this fertile area of Italy, which at the time produced the Falernum wine, which was considered the most important wine by the Roman emperors. Today it is the region that holds the record for the largest number of native vines, despite the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century phylloxera completely destroyed the plant population that existed at the time. It is from this heritage that the philosophy of continuous research originates and is adopted by Vincenzo Varchetta, member of the fourth generation of wine growers of Astroni, with the help of the expert enologist Gerardo Vernazzaro.

The wines of Cantine Astroni grow on the outer slopes of the very crater that gives its name to the winery. The soils are the result of the stratification of lava and ash caused by a Phlegraean eruption some 4,000 years ago, which created the lakes and hills that characterise the area's landscape. From this eruption, the area has inherited what is known as bradyseism, which is a deep and perpetual motion that cyclically raises and lowers the ground. The scents of this rural environment and the strong breezes of salty air embrace the Piedirosso and Falanghina vines, which are two great indigenous varieties that Varchetta represents, striving to give them the international fame they deserve. Trained on the Guyot system, the grapes are harvested by hand and fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. This preserves the characteristic tone of the wines without affecting their organoleptic profile.

The red and white wines of Cantine Astroni are the fruit of the choice of Vicenzo, great-grandfather of the present owner, who in 1892 decided to boost his business, making it his only occupation. The time was ripe and the estate, which was located within the hunting reserve of Ferdinand of Bourbon, was perfectly suited to reap the benefits of this geologically varied and rich soil like no other. His son Giovanni, after returning from the Second World War, succeeded in fully realising his father's entrepreneurial project, and passed on his passion to his children and grandchildren. This is how the traditional skills that have been inherited from experience have reached the present day, allowing these wonderful and tasty wines to help us uncover a tradition that the wise Romans discovered long before we did.

Gragnano Rosso Cantine Astroni 2024

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