producers visit

<p><strong><em>This visit to Agnanum took place in May, 2014.</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Words by Jules Dressner, photos by Jill Bernheimer, Josefa Concannon and David Norris.</em></strong></p> <p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//21/0c/210c535b035afe0913dbb81bb991afdb.jpg" /></p> <p>There&#39;s an old Italian expression that goes:&nbsp;<em>&quot;Vedi Napoli e poi muori&quot;</em>, or &quot;See Naples and Die&quot;. I can&#39;t really explain why, but any city where traffic is this fucking insane at any random street corner will always have a special place in my heart.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/K8HOMU5UqkM" width="640"></iframe><br /> <br /> It&#39;s worth watching until the end. So many close calls... So few helmets...<br /> <br /> Also, this:<br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//79/e8/79e871e1a02421dd970c421640405ab7.jpeg" /></p> <p>Best. Outfit. Ever.<br /> <br /> But Napoli isn&#39;t just panic-inducing traffic, insane all-night street parties, incredible architecture, delicious pizza and fashionable children. If you head to the Western edge of the city, you find yourself in&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="228">Campi Flegrei</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> a unique area on the edge of the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Tyrrhenian Sea" title="1057">Tyrrhenian Sea</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Geologically, <glossary title="228">Campi Flegrei</glossary> is marked by many large <glossary title="1117">volcanic</glossary> craters. Combine this with the sea&#39;s constant winds and you have a fascinating&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> While still within the city limits, much of the area feels desolate and forgotten. However, if you follow the twisty, unkempt roads to the crater of Agnano, there is plenty of beauty to experience at Raffaele Moccia&#39;s four&nbsp;<glossary title="523">hectare</glossary> estate,&nbsp;Agnanum.</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//4b/de/4bde3efa497bff5bba0d852921f2fdc3.jpg" /></p> <p>All of Raffaele&#39;s vines are located on a single, steep hillside overlooking the mainland in all its post-industrial glory.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//6d/71/6d71a9cd1f41d175e9890b48b0a157b5.jpg" /><br /> <br /> Here is Agnano&#39;s lovely hippodrome:</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//09/91/0991581a155f44f0bcddda6ef5929258.jpg" /></p> <p>Once you turn away from the urban panorama, you are treated to an absolutely stunning vineyard site.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//12/bc/12bcdfec4dd1aebadf992cd8ddb2893a.jpg" /><br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//3c/36/3c3695beede76db4c2c02dc149c8fd1f.jpg" /><br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//e0/ee/e0eeacc00e96a4e47d45436003a92afb.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//8e/56/8e56e743d793621989a9c01ea87a3c8d.jpg" /><br /> <br /> The soils here are <glossary title="909">sand</glossary> and <glossary title="1117">volcanic</glossary>&nbsp;ash, with the vines planted on&nbsp;<glossary title="1022">terraces</glossary> that make <glossary title="645">mechanization</glossary> impossible. <glossary title="1022">Terraces</glossary> have been the traditional way of planting in this area for centuries, but in an all too familiar tale, most growers are abandoning them because it&#39;s too much work. Speaking of too much work, Rafaelle has to be very careful with his soils.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <em>&quot;If you don&#39;t<span class="zalup"><span>&nbsp;<glossary title="1028"><em>till</em></glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the rain goes right through (the soil) and messes everything up.&quot;</em><br /> <br /> To avoid this, he lets grass grow wild to absorb water that would otherwise overfeed the vines. The grass also helps create a layer of moisture that helps cool down the vines.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//29/03/2903a366e68ef4c7dc7fff6d371e6837.jpg" /><br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//b6/cf/b6cf850f4ac08e3ed9327d781ff1d4f8.jpg" /><br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//27/15/27153124b18e22ada14de3bc5d187a98.jpg" /><br /> <br /> <em>&quot;I didn&#39;t come up with this system. It is very old!&quot;&nbsp;</em><br /> <br /> Rafaelle&#39;s land is considered a historical vineyard: the youngest vines are 60 years old and the oldest are &quot;at least&quot; 200. Because his soils are so&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sand" title="909">sandy</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> everything is planted in&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="464">franc de pied</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <em>&quot;We&#39;re drinking the wines the Romans were drinking. Well, with the help of a more modern </em><glossary term="Cellar" title="254"><em>cellar</em></glossary><em>!&quot;</em><br /> <br /> 2.8 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of the native <glossary title="435">Falanghina</glossary> are planted for white and 1.2&nbsp;<glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary title="794">Piedirosso</glossary> for red. The vines are some of the most strangely shaped I&#39;ve ever witnessed.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//86/fb/86fbca75ac59d800b5cbb78b507d9db5.jpg" /><br /> <br /> Rafaelle described the training system as&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="774">pergola</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> yet it doesn&#39;t resemble what one usually associates with the term.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> At one point, a distinct whiff of <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> overtook the group. That&#39;s because there are nearby <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> eruptions all the time.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//e8/4c/e84c88a1b78bfea47ff57bc219cae981.jpg" /><br /> <br /> See that smoke in the middle? <glossary title="993">Sulfur</glossary> cloud.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> As we continued our walk through the vines, Rafaelle explained that there are four&nbsp;layers to his soil: <glossary title="909">sandy,</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1117">volcanic</glossary><span>,</span></span></span>&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="531">humus</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="">fine</glossary> <glossary title="909">sand</glossary> from <glossary title="145">basalt</glossary> and finally <glossary title="145">basalt</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="991">subsoils</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> It is very compact, and in such the roots of the vines feed from all four&nbsp;layers.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <em>&quot;Though the younger vines only reach the first three.&quot;</em><br /> <br /> By &quot;younger&quot;, I&#39;m pretty sure he meant the 60 year old vines.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Another particularity of these soils is that they auto-restrict<span class="zalup"><span>&nbsp;<glossary title="1129">yields</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> which was surprising since the vines are so huge.<br /> <br /> Look, it&#39;s an old lady working her land alone in the horizon!<br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//0b/84/0b84f6336af8367731d1faeabc5c3514.jpg" /><br /> <br /> I spotted hoses in the vines, and asked Rafaelle about them.<br /> <br /> <em>&quot;These are not for<span class="zalup"><span>&nbsp;<glossary title="549"><em>irrigation</em></glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but rather to have water handy when doing </em><glossary term="Contact Treatment" title="328"><em>treatments</em></glossary><em>. It&#39;s much easier to start from the top of the vines and having pitstops on the way down than having to go all the way back down each time.&quot;</em><br /> <br /> At the very top of the hill, some young vines have been planted in <glossary title="941">massale</glossary> and&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="464">franc de pied</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> They are 15 years old. To help them grow and develop, Rafaelle has planted fava beans in the rows and <glossary title="442">fertilizes</glossary> the land with rabbit shit.<br /> <br /> I found rabbit shit to be an oddly specific shit for the task, but it turns out that Rafaelle has a side business of raising rabbits, so that makes sense. Speaking of which:</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//d8/66/d866b63e04a45a9a4b74f1786d487479.jpg" /><br /> <br /> Our tasting/lunch took place in this medieval dungeon type space that was a stark contrast to the beautiful vines.</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//b7/24/b7249e88a131a72c26c34b89b80d15f3.jpg" /><br /> <br /> Rafaelle&#39;s son, who is currently in culinary school, made us a banging lunch from this amazing wood fire oven.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//bf/0d/bf0d8bad5d99eb7f97eb8710bcdc8c51.jpg" /></p> <p>Of course, we had to eat some rabbit!<br /> <br /> We also tasted some wine. In the cellar, slow <glossary title="538">native yeast</glossary> <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary> take place in <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> tanks. <glossary title="622">Malolactic</glossary> has never occurred since Rafaelle took over the winemaking.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> For the white wine, 10mg of <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> is added at the beginning of&nbsp;<glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary> and nothing after. A light <glossary title="447">filtration</glossary> also takes place. The red is <glossary title="447">unfiltered</glossary> and&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Fining" title="449">unfined</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Rafaelle&rsquo;s great, great grandfather used to sell the wine in <glossary title="1122">vrac</glossary> to to restaurants in Naples. He would load barrels up in a horse wagon and bring them to town.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <em>&quot;The wine became so popular that my father had to start a lottery system. The wine would go to the winners.&quot;</em><br /> <br /> Rafaelle is the first generation to bottle the wine with the 2002&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Four&nbsp;wines are produced: a <glossary title="228">Campi Flegrei</glossary> <glossary title="158">Bianco</glossary> that is 100%&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="435">Falanghina</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> an&nbsp;<glossary title="">IGT</glossary> white that&rsquo;s 50% <glossary title="435">Falanghina</glossary> and 50% grapes I&rsquo;ve never heard of. He also makes two reds from&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="794">Piedirosso</glossary><span>:</span></span></span>&nbsp;&quot;Per e&#39; Palumm&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;Vigne del Volpe&quot;, a selection from the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Old Vines" title="740">oldest vines</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> They are all delicious.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> After leaving, we got a little lost on the way to our next appointment and, after pulling over, met a really ugly dog with a heart of gold.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//b3/82/b38254917a29331299255ed58bb2badd.jpg" /></p> <p>Due to his underbite, we nicknamed him Teeth. I wanted to keep him forever.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_12//88/40/88405ef19bdb29df8cedc5a2d3edad8e.jpg" /></p>

harvest report

<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Sep_18//b9/aa/b9aa96c61dddf97cc3644716fe504366.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Sep_18//6e/25/6e259a6056b80d5e1362862c34a2af1c.jpg" /></p>