Ale.P.A is a winery in the Campania region that is located in the hills of Caiazzo, a few kilometres from the city of Caserta. It is a modern artisanal company, which was founded by Paola Riccio, who began producing wine and oil in an area that is historically very suitable. The Caserta area is one of the most interesting areas of Campania from an ampelographic point of view, as it has been able to preserve a viticulture that is linked to the most ancient local traditions. The estate is located not far from the famous Royal Palace of Caserta and is immersed in a natural landscape that is still uncontaminated and rich in biodiversity. The story began in 1986 with the conversion of the country residence into a winery, although the first wines were only released in 1993.

The vineyards of the Ale.P.A winery cover about 3 hectares in a small plot near the main house and the vines are rooted in a clayey soil at an altitude of 250 metres. The vines are carefully cultivated with great attention to the natural balance of the plants and trying to intervene as little as possible. The same philosophy applies to the processes in the cellar, which are designed to facilitate the transformation of must into wine, with the utmost respect for the excellent quality of the raw materials. All the production processes are based on a great respect for time. This applies not only to waiting for the grapes to reach full maturity in the vineyard, but also to the vinification process. This often involves lengthy ageing before the wines are released for sale, allowing them to fully develop their expressive and aromatic richness. The company immediately focused on the production of wines with a typically territorial profile, which express the authentic character of this corner of Campania.

This is where Ale.P.A's desire to rediscover and make the most of the vines that have historically been present in the area comes from, with a focus on two ancient Campanian varieties, the Pallagrello Bianco and the Pallagrello Nero. Pallagrello is named after the spherical shape of the berry and is a grape that for many centuries was neglected in favour of varieties that were commercially more popular and economically profitable. The Pallagrello is actually a variety of noble origin, which was part of the famous Vigna del Ventaglio vineyard at the Royal Site of San Leucio near the Royal Palace of Caserta. This was a collection of the best grapes grown in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, established by King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon (1751-1825) and designed by Luigi Vanvitelli. Pallagrello, in its red and white varieties, is presented in a splendid selection of red and white wines. Paola is therefore a custodian of this ancient "grape of kings", which has reached the present day and has become part of modern history. This is certainly the result of the virtuous efforts of small, family-run local wineries, just like Ale.P.A!

Pallagrello Bianco 'Riccio' Alepa 2021

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