Bubbling with Heritage: A Look into the Sparkling Wines of Gragnano
And so, my "journey" in this blog begins with one of the wines that I particularly enjoy for its deliciousness of taste and versatility. And I start from my origins, Campania, and in particular from the stunning Sorrento Peninsula. Within the DOC that bears the name of this last one, we find the subzone Gragnano.
When you think of Gragnano, you immediately think of pasta. Those smooth and hard candele to break with your hands or those beautiful rugged paccheri, soaked in steaming Neapolitan ragù. Almost always, in the common imagination, especially outside of Campania, the word Gragnano is associated with the history of pasta and the hundred historic factories. However, what many people may not know is that Gragnano also has a rich history when it comes to wine. It was probably the Greeks who first planted vines here and the Romans loved the wine produced in this area. The name Gragnano comes from the praedium that the Grania gens of Roman origin had in the area, and which left evidence in an inscription engraved on a tomb found in 1931 at the borders of Gragnano. In the Middle Ages, the Cathedral of Lettere was dedicated to Santa Maria delle Vigne because of the importance of viticulture in the area. A saying from the 16th century even praised the healing properties of Gragnano wine, saying "If you want to live well, drink Gragnano." With Napoleon's arrival and the appointment of Joachim Murat as King of Naples, French viticulture and vignerons were brought in and Gragnano became famous throughout the province. The wine from Gragnano was so highly sought after that it became synonymous with the excellence of all wines from the region. Even in 1845, it was written that "The wine of Gragnano gave its name to all the wines of Naples."
After trying it, Mario Soldati, an Italian wine writer, journalist, and film director, also became a great admirer, writing many passionate pages about it, concluding that Gragnano is a literary wine, that is, “unreal”. But history, on the contrary, shows how Gragnano has been more than a real wine, one of those few wines with "transversal" effects, capable of uniting and bringing together in the joy of its taste, farm workers and employers, Bourbons and "lazzari," poverty and nobility.
So, the history and literature on Gragnano wine is so extensive, that I could continue to talk about it for a long time, telling many other anecdotes and curiosities. But today, I prefer to focus on another aspect, closely linked to the past and traditions of this wine. More specifically, I would like to find an answer to a question: why is this semi sparkling and cheerful wine, which undeniably pleases everyone, pleasant to drink in any season and in any situation, today relegated to secondary roles? Why is it almost never found on wine lists and, above all, why during official dinners, gatherings and ceremonies, good Gragnano never figures? Simple wine, without pretensions, Gragnano... this is the refrain that accompanies its current fame. So simple as to be snubbed and relegated to the rank of minor wine, no longer worthy of representing the quality production of a region that today boasts its own Taurasi, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino trilogy. To most, it doesn't seem worthy of being aligned with the rising wines of the Costiera or alongside the rediscovered greats of Caserta's past - Falerno in particular - or finding space among the ambitious wines of the new Sannio or being counted among the eternal promises of Cilento. No way... too modest! Better not to talk about it at all... The answer to these nagging questions is far from the alleged unsuitability of this excellent - I repeat, excellent - wine, from its (only) supposed simplicity and instead, and again, for reasons of commercial and fashion opportunity. On the first front, in fact, it must be noted that a bottle of Gragnano, of good quality, can not generally cost more than about 10 euros, with little profit margins for producers and merchants. About the second reason, it must be said that the approach to wine, by the modern consumer, is far too influenced more by fashion than by personal taste. And there is no doubt that fashion, in turn, is governed by the prevailing prescriptions of the major distributors, emulators and acolytes of the Wine Lords; and this fashion pushes and conditions more and more in the direction of structured, elaborate wines, full of every smell, of long maturation. Who, among these puppeteers, would want to forge new generations of consumers with the basic taste of Gragnano or Lambrusco? Here, I said Lambrusco and my mind goes to the inevitable taste of similarity with the Emilian wine, and here the question I ask myself is about the different fame and the different assertion of the two types on the market. Why does Lambrusco defend itself - or rather, it enhances and specifies itself, if we only think of the four existing types, including the ex-doc Lambrusco Reggiano - and, above all, it is always strong on the shelves and Gragnano instead not? The answer is, once again, in the reaction times of the local entrepreneur, who only recently understood the potential of the product and only in the last 25 years decided to make wine according to the rules, bottle and label this product, to finally make a serious wine. Until then, It was sun-baked, unlabelled and had a plastic screw cap covered in a metal ring.
So Gragnano, this famous and unknown wine from Naples, is an ancient but very young wine that is still taking its first steps, that only recently is looking for formulas of aggregation, investments and synergies among producers, as well as the creation of a Consortium, which dates back to 1995. The secret of Gragnano? It lies mainly in the microclimate of the vineyards. The exposure of the vineyards destined for Gragnano can count on the shield of Monte Faito behind it, a mountain -amongst the highest in the region - that performs functions of temperature regulation, and on the beneficial protection from the sea breeze from the Gulf. Especially in the highest area of Pimonte, around 4/500 meters, the temperature excursions are high. This makes it easy to obtain a grapes with high levels of acidity and concentration of aromas. Furthermore with this microclimate even in the hottest years the grapes don’t overripe.
Alright, let's talk about how Gragnano gets its bubbles, that beautiful fizz and that dense, fragrant foam. First things first, Gragnano falls under the category of natural semi sparkling wine (frizzante). This means it's different from traditional sparkling wines (spumante) because it has a lower pressure of 1.5 atmospheres compared to the 3-3.5 atmospheres of traditional sparkling wines. And when we say "natural" we mean that the CO2 develops naturally in this wine as a result of fermentation, rather than being separately injected like some other wines. To keep that nice acidity, the grapes are harvested a little early or at least not after they've reached their perfect ripeness. After 7-8 days of fermentation, the wine is cooled down to stop fermentation, then its clarified. The wine then is transferred into a stainless vat and yeast is added. This second fermentation lasts for about 10 days. Then the wine sits on the lees for an additional 20 days. And that's it!
Gragnano wine may not be the fancy, high-priced bottle you'd bring to a fancy dinner party, but don't let that fool you. This unassuming wine packs a serious punch when it comes to flavor. Sure, it may not have the prestige of a Taurasi or the history of a Falerno, but sometimes the underdog is the one to root for. Plus, at a price point that won't break the bank, you can afford to stock up and impress your friends at your next get-together. Just don't be surprised when they ask for seconds...or thirds.
Favourite Producers
Cantina degli Astroni
Salvatore Martusciello
Iovine
Ciro Scala
Cantine Gambardella