Ischia DOC Forastera 2022 (750 ml.) Cenatiempo

THE WINE

The Forastera from Cenatiempo is a fresh white wine made from pure Forastera grapes, an indigenous variety from the island of Ischia. The vineyards, located in the municipality of Lacco Ameno on terraced volcanic soil, have been following the principles of biodynamic agriculture for many years. It has a pale straw-yellow color with some greenish hues. The bouquet is predominantly characterized by aromas of flowers and white-fleshed fruits, including jasmine and peach, with a hint of Mediterranean scrub herbs. It has a fresh, mineral, and saline taste, with a unique balance.

THE COMPANY

Thinking of the Cenatiempo winery immediately transports one to the beautiful landscape of the island of Ischia. Here, in 1945, Francesco Cenatiempo founded this family-run winery, now in the hands of Pasquale Cenatiempo, a winemaker who has always stayed away from the media spotlight. The winery is situated in a striking setting, literally carved into the heart of the Kalimera hill, almost as if wanting to root itself in the most profound and vibrant part of this beautiful territory. It is no coincidence that even in Roman times, the island of Ischia, then called Aenaria, was considered “the land of wine,” an economy it relied on until the first half of the twentieth century, now revived by this winery.

The wines of the Cenatiempo winery are the offspring of a unique territory where the volcano meets the sea, the solid merges with the liquid, and the warmth of lava blends with the cold waves of the Mediterranean. These two contrasting and pulsating souls are the signature of the winery's labels, appreciated for their pleasant drinkability and distinctly saline character. In the winery, any form of production interference, such as the use of wood, is banned in favor of steel tanks and old concrete vats to sincerely and honestly enhance the natural aromatic profile of the grapes. A synthesis of production and landscape tradition concentrated in a single glass!

Since the founding of the winery, the Cenatiempo family has committed to promoting the native and traditional varieties of the island of Ischia. The Biancolella and the Forastera, the undisputed manifesto of the entire production, speak a saline, marine, and fresh language like the sea that the vineyards overlook, while the Piedirosso, locally called Per’ e Palummo, reveals a earthy and volcanic soul, typical of the region. It is a heroic viticulture, practiced on steep terraces that enjoy perfect sun exposure, based on the principles of biodynamic agriculture that respects the environment, definitely worth tasting and why not, also worth visiting in person!

EXTREME WINES

Extreme wines are heroic wines, products of labor, sweat, and the industriousness of man; they are produced in often unknown, geographically challenging areas, sometimes impossible, and cultivated in tiny patches of land wrested from the mountains, rocks, and sea.

From Trentino-Alto Adige to Sardinia, from Aosta Valley to the island of Pantelleria, from Valtellina to the Amalfi Coast, from the Cinque Terre to the slopes of Etna, ancient Enotria boasts a myriad of grape varieties that have survived wars, plagues, and the scourge of phylloxera.

Grape varieties that, thanks to the tenacity and passion of some small great winemakers, have been rescued from oblivion and still today can offer Bacchus lovers extraordinary wines.

Gianpaolo Girardi