From A Gesture Of Real Love Comes One Of Monte Somma's Most Identifying Grapes.
📜 A Real Love That Put Roots On Mount Sum.
In the heart of the 15th century, Alfonso I of Aragon, king of Naples, fell madly in love with the young Lucrezia d’Alagno. To win her, words or promises were not enough: the king wanted to leave a tangible mark, something that would speak of him, his affection, and his land.
During one of Lucrezia’s summer sojourns in Somma Vesuviana, Alfonso ordered that a number of vine shoots of a vine dear to him be transported from Catalonia. An unusual gesture for the time, when moving vines from one region to another was a complex and rare undertaking. Yet, in 1450, those vines found a home on the slopes of Monte Somma, where the volcanic soil and generous climate welcomed them with strength and grace.
🌋 From a Gesture of Love to a Symbol of a Territory.
Those vines became Catalanesca, a grape that would feed the tables of Vesuvius over the centuries. For generations it was consumed as a table grape: crisp flesh, sweet but never cloying, resistant to storage. The farmers of Monte Somma made it a valuable resource and a local pride.
🍷 Today: Catalanesca Del Monte Somma IGP
In recent decades, however, Catalanesca has changed its face. From being a simple fruit, it has also proved excellent for winemaking, resulting in a white wine that elegantly tells of its volcanic origins: the Catalanesca del Monte Somma IGP.
In the chalice it presents itself:
With notes of white-fleshed fruit and fresh flowers,
With a distinct freshness,
and a mineral finish, which is the deep imprint of the lava soil that nourishes it.
🍷 Today: Catalanesca Del Monte Somma IGP
A versatile wine that accompanies delicate dishes but also more structured preparations: fish, white meats, fresh cheeses. A white that speaks of tradition and innovation, with a regal history at its heart.
That loving gesture of the king did not remain just legend: it became agricultural tradition, material culture, the identity of a people.
Today, every bunch of Catalanesca that grows on Mount Somma carries with it an ancient and powerful legacy.
did you know that?
👉 Catalanesca is the only Italian table grape to be vinified with PGI recognition.
👉 It is cultivated between 250 and 550 meters on Mt. Somma.ire capable and useful.
Recipes that taste like catalanesca
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