andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

Harvest season - Campania.  For my first vendemmia of 2012, I chose a small vineyard with a big story.  The Asprinio di Aversa vineyard belonging to Az. Agrituristico Arbustum in the town of Casel Di Principe in Caserta...about 30 minutes from Naples.  Asprinio di Aversa- a white grape found in this part of the country has been around a long time, some believe as far back as the Etruscan period. And that explains the training system that many vineyards that produce this grape still use today. Vines that grow amazingly high -50 to 60 feet.  Vines that are attached or 'married' to poplar trees. Imagine... ridiculously  tall vines reaching up to the sky.  Spectacular to view, but an incredible task to maintain, prune, and of course, at this time of year...harvest. That's where they come in.  The uomini ragno , spider men. And if you ever get a chance to see them at work, you'll instantly understand.   These uomini ragno carry extremely tall narrow ladders. The

Though I've known Ciro Picariello and his wife Rita for a couple of years, I didn't really know their story . We've bumped into each other at wine fairs, tastings, etc but the first time we really had a chance to talk was recently when I decided to drive to Summonte in the Avellino province to visit them in their small winery. A small winery that has been making big noise over the past few years. But let's go back to the beginning.  And we don't really have to back that far in time.  Ciro does not have a long history as a wine maker, only about 8 or 9 years.  His family hasn't been making wine or growing grapes for generations.  In fact, not at all.  So our story could begin back in the 90s when Ciro was working full time as a surveyor.  Rita had property which she had inherited from her father.  Property which contained olive groves and Aglianico, Piedirosso and  Sciasinasso grapes. Her family made wine for themselves, until about the mid 50s.  They adde