The evocative charm of a corner of nature in the heart of Irpinia and the desire to contribute to the production of value in an area of great wines, inspired Lorenzo Fonzone Caccese and his family to found in 2005 a winery in Paternopoli, within the Taurasi DOCG denomination area.

Today the vineyards of Aglianico, Fiano and Falanghina coexist with fruit trees, olive trees and woods, along an avenue that connects the main house to the cellar.

PATERNOPOLI

The Fonzone Caccese estate is located in Paternopoli, one of the seventeen municipalities of the Taurasi DOCG area, in the province of Avellino.

The winery boasts over twelve hectares of Aglianico, out of which the following wines are produced: Irpinia Aglianico DOC, Irpinia DOC Campi Taurasini and Taurasi DOCG Riserva made with the grapes coming from the highest portion of the vineyard. Furthermore, the vineyards of Fiano and Falanghina, destined for the production of the Irpinia DOC denomination, complete the vineyard area of the estate.

The hill where the company estate extends, just outside the town, is located in the “Campi Taurasini” sub-area, and is surrounded by the municipalities of Villamaina, Castelfranci and Gesualdo, whose castle was inhabited by a branch of the Caccese family, from 1856 to 1980.

The vineyards extend on both sides of the hill, benefiting from multiple exposures and an altitude ranging from 360 m to 430 m / above sea level. The hill includes both clayey – calcareous soils and looser textured soils, of clear sedimentary origin, and is surrounded by the Fredane and Ifalco streams, which clearly influence the microclimate of the entire area.

Furthermore, given the proximity to Vesuvius, the first two layers of the soil have volcanic dust, deposit of the eruptions that took place over the centuries.

PRODUCTION PHILOSOPHY

Sustainability throughout the entire production process, this is the basis of our production philosophy from the vineyard to the cellar.

The soil is treated with agronomic practices such as ripping, subsoiling and shredding without using chemical fertilizers but only organic amendments and green manures.

Pruning is aimed at respecting the plant and at a very low production load to improve the quality of the grapes.

The company’s production activity is concentrated in the direction of sustainable viticulture, evaluating and minimizing the impact of all the agricultural and oenological practices implemented, and having as its main objective the protection of the environment and the health of consumers.

To favor biodiversity in the vineyard as much as possible and to improve the soil structure, the inter-row space is managed with the grassing technique of spontaneous plants. The balance between legumes, grasses and other species is regulated with mowing, while the floristic spectrum of the lawn is monitored from year to year.

No herbicides are used and the Phyto pathological defense is in accordance with the criteria of integrated pest management, with the utmost attention to the correct distribution of the active ingredients used.

The winemaker is Luca D’Attoma.