Penisola Sorrentina

Italy · DOC (PDO) · Campania

Styles

Natural factors

The Lattari Mountains range is bounded to the northwest by the Gulf of Naples, to the north by the plain of the Sarno river, to the east by the Metelliana valley, and to the south by the Gulf of Salerno.
The Lattari Mountains run perpendicular to the Apennines, as if hinged to that chain in the area of Cava dei Tirreni, sharing the same chemical composition of carbonate sediments accumulated over millions of years.
These white calcareous sediments are formed from microorganisms and small marine animals that, over approximately 200 million years, built up thicknesses of several thousand metres, now lying beneath the earth's surface.
On the upland areas of the Lattari Mountains, the main soil types include Molli-Vitric Andosols, Pachi-Vitric Andosols, Molli-Eutrisilic Andosols, Vitric Andosols, and Lepti-Eutrisilic Andosols.
On the hilly uplands of the Sorrento Peninsula, the soils found are Calcaric Cambisols, Skeletic Cambisols, Lepti-Eutrisilic Andosols, and Molli-Vitric Andosols.

Human factors

In 1845 Gigante described the wine of Gragnano as the wine that gave its name to all the wines of the Naples area — light garnet in colour, aromatic, and off-dry.
Until the mid-twentieth century, the "trafica del vino" took place — the purchase of the new wine by Neapolitan merchants, who then transported it to Naples on large carts known as traìni.
Today the grape varieties cultivated for Gragnano, always on soils of pyroclastic material, are principally Aglianico, Piedirosso — locally called "per e palummo" — and Olivella, also known as sciascinoso, trained on trellis and/or pergola systems.

Product characteristics

A contemporary expert describes Gragnano as deep ruby red tending toward dark, with a vinous and rustic nose, lightly sparkling and, when young, frothy with a foam that dissipates quickly, full-bodied and dense yet smooth on the palate, with a smoky finish reminiscent of malt whisky but more volatile, best served at cellar temperature.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

About this boundary · approximate area

Approximate area — the Bétard 2022 dataset polygon (EU PDOs), at municipality resolution.