Here on the slopes of Monte Summa, the oldest part of Vesuvius — the volcano that destroyed Pompeii and continues to rumble, shaking daily the nerves of the Napolitani — grape growing is an ancient art, the lava-rich, sandy slopes of the volcano providing perfect terroir for rare, native grapes such as Catalanesca and Piedirosso. Southern Italy presents that useful mixture of inexpensive wines brought easily to ripeness in the heat of summer , Super little appellations highlighting characterful local wines, reds from Aglianico, primitivo, lacryma christi, and frappato bastonaca, near mount Etna, to the Cannonau from Sardinia, has a special flavor and aroma, those of a unique wine ( Mamuthone) and so on. Even International varieties take on a wild complexity when planted on the right Sicilian hillside. knowledge and technique are evolving rapidly here, and the area rewards regular revisiting
