When we climbed the northern side of the volcano, the side of Monte Somma, we realised that vineyards here have a story all their own. Among the rows looking out over the Campanian plain grows a grape whose name betrays its distant origins: Catalanesca. Here is how it became an appellation.
A grape from Catalonia
According to the tradition also recorded by the Vesuvius National Park, Catalanesca owes its name to where it came from: Alfonso I of Aragon is said to have brought it from Catalonia in the 15th century and had it planted on the slopes of the Somma. For centuries farmers used it in two ways: crushed in the old farmhouse presses to make wine and, for the surplus, sold as table grapes.
One old custom struck us: the finest bunches were left on the vine, with the damaged berries gradually removed, so that they would last until Christmas. An ancient way of preserving fruit that shows how precious this grape was.
From table grape to IGT
For a long time Catalanesca was classified mainly as a table grape. Its recognition as a wine grape came in 2006, and in 2011 the Catalanesca del Monte Somma IGT was born, the youngest of Campania's typical geographical indications. The production rules provide for just two types, bianco and passito, with at least 85% Catalanesca grapes.
The territory: nine municipalities on Somma-Vesuvius
The production area covers nine municipalities in the province of Naples on the slopes of the volcanic complex. The historic heart of cultivation lies between Somma Vesuviana, Sant'Anastasia and Pollena Trocchia, where loose, mineral-rich volcanic soils give savoury wines. The harvest is late, between October and November, and the areas are small: we are talking about just a few hectares, often farmed by families.
A curiosity worth knowing
Catalanesca should not be confused with Caprettone, the other white grape of Vesuvius and the star of Lacryma Christi: they are two different varieties living side by side on the same volcano. If you get the chance to taste them next to each other, we recommend you do: it is the best way to understand how varied Vesuvius is.
What it is like in the glass
We will not give you textbook tasting notes, but we can tell you something: the Catalanesca berry is slightly elongated, with a greenish skin that turns golden yellow when fully ripe. The passito version comes from the same farming habit of leaving the grapes on the vine or drying them, to have a sweet wine to keep for the holidays. Monte Somma, the oldest rim of the volcano, shelters the vineyards from sea winds and creates a microclimate different from that of the Pompeii side.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
Start from Somma Vesuviana and its medieval old town, then head down towards Ottaviano and San Giuseppe Vesuviano. To complete the picture, read Vesuvio DOC and Pompeiano IGT, our overview The wines of Naples and the story of the volcano in Mount Vesuvius: its history. If you want to build an itinerary through the region's wineries, take a look at The wines of Campania.
Sources: Vesuvius National Park – Catalanesca grape, MASAF – Production rules for DOP and IGP wines, Italian Wine Central – IGP Catalanesca del Monte Somma; Campania Region with AIS Campania, Guida Catalogo 2024 of the wine-growing and wine-making companies of Campania.
Photo at the top (Somma Vesuviana): Superdariomaster96, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.