Campi Flegrei traces its roots back to Falerno Gaurano, one of the most popular wines of antiquity, highly praised by Pliny the Elder and, in less remote times, a favorite of the rulers of Naples and the Popes of Rome.
This wine is produced near Naples, in an area covering the territories of seven municipal districts. The region is known for its rich, ancient culture, natural resources, and breathtaking scenery, unsurpassed even in other parts of Italy.
The volcanic soil here is the result of successive eruptions. It is tufaceous and rich in ashes, lapilli, pumice and microelements that give a distinctive taste and aroma to the grapes and their wines. Thanks to the particular composition of this soil, it is possible to grow the grapevines using age-old methods abandoned elsewhere in Italy after the great phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century.
Falanghina – an ancient Campanian species of vine used to produce white wines – originates in this same region. It is grown “alla putuelana”, or “Pozzuoli-style” - an ancient method whereby the vine was supported by an espalier, called “falange” in Latin.
Red wines here are obtained from the best Campanian grapes, like Piedirosso, known in the local dialect as ‘o palummo, and Aglianico.
Campi Flegrei is the product of the magical combination of a rich soil, excellent weather, noteworthy species of grape, and the region’s great tradition and history of winemaking, low-yield growing methods, and state-of-the-art wineries.
The relatively modern technique of bottle fermentation is also allowed in the production of a noteworthy Spumante Metodo Classico, which is well worth a try. This technique consists in remuage, yeast shocking, dégorgement and resting of the wine with the spent yeast for at least a year.