The wine of Penisola Sorrentina Gragnano is a sparkling red with a fresh, lively flavor and is historically considered the quintessential wine of Naples.
We recommend five to try to immerse yourself in the Neapolitan culture.
“Felì, make sure it is Gragnano.
You taste it: if it is sparkling, you take it, if not, desist “. The famous Totò’s quote, taken from the play “Miseria e Nobiltà” by Eduardo Scarpetta, perfectly represents the importance of Gragnano wine in the culture of Campania..
Scritta nel 1888, la commedia narra le vicende di Felice Sciosciammocca, interpretato magistralmente da Totò nella versione cinematografica del 1954, e del suo amico Pasquale, offrendo un ritratto vivace della società napoletana dell’epoca con colpi di scena e situazioni comiche.
Antonio de Curtis, known as Totò, was one of the most beloved and iconic actors in Italian cinema, with a strong connection to Neapolitan tradition and local cuisine evident in many of his works, of which Gragnano wine is an integral part, representing the authenticity and joie de vivre of the Neapolitan people.
Out-of-region mentions include. Mario Soldati, which calls it “a small, but unsurpassed wine, vinous and country, which despite its color should not be drunk at room temperature, but cold, and cold from the cellar, of course, never from the refrigerator“. Hyacinth Giant, Neapolitan painter and engraver in the mid-nineteenth century writes “the wine of Gragnano, par excellence gave its name to all the wines of the Neapolitan“.
Gragnano wine: a symbol of Campania.
Gragnano wine, from the town of the same name in the Molini Valley, at the foot of the Lattari Mountains, is a wine sparkling red with a fresh and lively flavor, an integral part of the local peasant and gastronomic culture since Roman times.
In 1808 Jocchino Murat, brother-in-law of Napoleon Buonaparte and King of Naples, brought in agronomists from France who brought the winemaking method to the Lattari Mountains.
It was then that Gragnano became par excellence the wine of Naples. Returning to the present day, it was thanks to the Martusciello family that in 1991 the DOC Penisola Sorrentina and therefore the subzones Gragnano and Lettere, a name that differs by municipal boundaries, since production and grapes are the same (organoleptic characteristics change).The varieties that make up Gragnano are: the Piedirosso, also known as “Per’ e Palummo, which gives freshness and fruity notes; the Sciascinoso, which adds softness and aromatic complexity, and theAglianico, which contributes to the wine’s structure and depth, also enriching it with tannins.
All in a 60 percent blend, while complementing the blend are balances of Tintore, Castagnara, Sabato, Jaculillo, Palombina, Olivella, Gelse and additional local biotypes, which grow in old mixed, parceled and terraced vineyards at 500 meters above sea level, between the sea and the mountains and on volcanic-formed soil, rich in ash and lapilli.
The terroir gives Gragnano its unique character, while the traditional production method guarantees freshness and vivacity.
It owes its characteristic effervescence, the typical lively froth, to refermentation in autoclaves (Martinotti method).
Food pairings
Gragnano wine wins the hearts of gourmets by adapting to a variety of food pairings, such as with Neapolitan pizza, the typical panuozzo, a Gragnano specialty-just to stay with the territory-with sausage and friarielli, and pasta with meat sauce.
It is excellent with cured meats and cheeses, with stewed seafood dishes and with white meats, thanks to its freshness and light effervescence.
This was followed by a tasting of the best Gragnano.
TO READ THE WINE DESCRIPTIONS, WITH SCORE AND AVERAGE SHELF PRICE, CLICK ON THE TABS BELOW.
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