Contrade di Taurasi
The winery Contrade di Taurasi was founded in Taurasi, in the heart of Irpinia, in 1998 thanks to the strong will of Sandro Lonardo, a retired Latin professor.
The Lonardo family, however, already had centuries-old farming traditions in the region. The rules of the company can be summarized in four points: exclusive use of grapes from the family-owned vineyards, use of indigenous yeasts to transfer the aromas and flavors of the territory into the wine, optimization of winemaking processes, and experimentation with new techniques both in the vineyard and in the winery. Perhaps experimentation is one of the standout aspects of this winery: for this purpose, the Lonardo family relies on a group of highly regarded technicians, university professors from Naples and Palermo. This team of experts is responsible for the recovery of an ancient local grape variety on its own roots, of which there were few scattered vines in the Irpinian countryside, the Grecomusc, the Roviello Bianco, which in dialect means Greco moscio, due to the soft and water-poor berries.
In this recovery and experimentation work Sandro has been effectively supported by the oenologist Maurizio De Simone and the microbiologist Giancarlo Moschetti, and the experimental winemaking has been conducted with the support of the University Federico II of Naples.
The Grecomusc is produced in minimal quantities: about 2,500 bottles a year and is the only white wine produced by the company. If the Grecomusc represents research and experimentation, Aglianico represents tradition: it is the main grape variety used and from it two excellent wines are produced, the Taurasi DOCG, and in particularly favorable years, the Taurasi Riserva.
The winery Contrade di Taurasi was founded in Taurasi, in the heart of Irpinia, in 1998 thanks to the strong will of Sandro Lonardo, a retired Latin professor.
The Lonardo family, however, already had centuries-old farming traditions in the region. The rules of the company can be summarized in four points: exclusive use of grapes from the family-owned vineyards, use of indigenous yeasts to transfer the aromas and flavors of the territory into the wine, optimization of winemaking processes, and experimentation with new techniques both in the vineyard and in the winery. Perhaps experimentation is one of the standout aspects of this winery: for this purpose, the Lonardo family relies on a group of highly regarded technicians, university professors from Naples and Palermo. This team of experts is responsible for the recovery of an ancient local grape variety on its own roots, of which there were few scattered vines in the Irpinian countryside, the Grecomusc, the Roviello Bianco, which in dialect means Greco moscio, due to the soft and water-poor berries.
In this recovery and experimentation work Sandro has been effectively supported by the oenologist Maurizio De Simone and the microbiologist Giancarlo Moschetti, and the experimental winemaking has been conducted with the support of the University Federico II of Naples.
The Grecomusc is produced in minimal quantities: about 2,500 bottles a year and is the only white wine produced by the company. If the Grecomusc represents research and experimentation, Aglianico represents tradition: it is the main grape variety used and from it two excellent wines are produced, the Taurasi DOCG, and in particularly favorable years, the Taurasi Riserva.
