Cantina del Vesuvio

This was our first time to Cantina del Vesuvio, the winery on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius in Naples, Italy. Upon parking we were greeted by Angela before we even got out of the car. Their level of customer service caught me off guard in a good way. Once we were ready, Angela took us on a quick tour of the vineyard and spoke good English. The winery started in 1948 by the Russo Family and produces 60,000 bottles per year. Interestingly, the wine is only available at the winery and unable to be purchased at a store or bar etc. The soil is rich volcanic which gives the wine a salty and dry taste. The wines can be aged from 2-4 years depending on the kind, so they’re better for everyday wines or aging a short period.

We purchased some of the rosé, rosso, riserva, and their unique pink wine vinegar. The pink wine vinegar “condiment” is made with red Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio wine which is from Piedirosso and Aglianico grapes produced exclusively on the Vesuvio slopes. It translates to tears of Christ. Per Wikipedia, the name Lacryma Christi comes from an old myth that Christ, crying over Lucifer's fall from heaven, cried his tears on the land and gave divine inspiration to the vines that grew there.

The lunch was fixed with a typical Neapolitan primi and secondi followed by dessert. Please see the pictures. Overall we had a fabulous day tasting the wine and food. The venue was nice with beautiful weather. A perfect afternoon and a great place to take visitors in the future.