House of Mysteries
It was only 1,938 years ago (79 AD) that Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered the city of Pompeii in about 12 feet of solid volcanic ash – a story we now know fairly well. What I did not know until my trip to Italy is that there were 15 vineyards within the city of Pompeii. However, it wasn’t until 1995, amongst the tattered villas and forsaken courtyards, that they were discovered. Among these sites they also unearthed several mummified bodies of those who were most likely tending the grapes while the eruption happened.
A year after the discovery, through city rehabilitation projects, a handful of the vineyards were replanted by the local and very respected winery Mastroberardino (a winery that has been around for 11 generations, almost as long as the invention of the telephone!). The grapes newly planted in these sites were not picked at random; Mastroberardino wanted to make the vineyards as historically accurate as possible. By looking at the frescos in the city, ancient farming texts, and the writings of Pliny the Elder (who, while trying to save friends and family outside of Pompeii also died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius from debris destroying his ship), they made some conclusions; the grapes that were farmed were those of classical Campanian origin. The varieties of Aglianico, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, Fiano, Falanghina, Coda di Volpe, Piedirosso, Sciascinoso, and Caprettona were most likely planted. With this information Mastroberardino decided to plant Aglianico, Piedirosso, and Sciascinoso.
The winery now produces a very small quantity of wine from these vineyards under a label eerily called Villa dei Misteri (House of Mysteries) to honor Pompeii. Currently, all of the proceeds from the wine go towards the restoration of the ancient city.
I think this preservation of history is extremely honorable and I can relate to their position as I’ve been trying to continue the legacy of grape growing and winemaking in the family with my father. Our Italian heritage is very important to us and we love Italian wine and grapes of Italian origin. This is one of the many reasons why we produce Aglianico and our Vesuvius blend (Greco di Tufo, Fiano, Falanghina, Coda di Volpe). These wines are made from these same varieties that were and now again grown in the magical city of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. So the next time you’re sitting down and drinking a bottle of Aglianico or Vesuvius you can think about that ancient civilization and be thankful you don’t have to sit underneath an active volcano to drink these unique and fascinating wines!
Salute!
-Alexandra Graziano