The winery of Pietratorcia started well over 30 years ago in Forio, on the western coast of the island of Ischia, 19 miles off the shore of Naples, through the efforts and commitment of three old farming families: the Iacono, Verde, and Regine, who joint efforts together to bring back to the island the great winemaking traditions, started over 2000 years ago by the Greeks and followed over the centuries by the vintners of Ischia. The families have gone their separate ways, and now only the Ianono family runs the winery. Today, Pietratorcia counts over seven hectares of replanted vineyards of carefully selected native grape varietals, original from the island of Ischia, and is run solely by the Iancono family. Biancolella, Forastera, Uva Rilla, San Leonardo, Fiano, Greco, Malvasia di Candia, Guarnaccia, Piedirosso, and Aglianico grow in perfect exposure to produce small batches of exciting and delicious wines. With a modern facility and cellars dating back to the 18th century, Pietratocia is on its way to restoring Ischia to its role as one of the world’s outstanding wine producers, though still remaining a simple rustic winery.

Pietratorcia is blessed with a western exposure that is nothing short of extreme amid the island’s microclimates. The rustic vineyard surrounded by robust vines, old fig trees, and rosemary bushes farmed in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea is a breathtaking oasis that produces wines as extreme as the growing conditions. The winery is named after the large, heavy green rocks, Pietratorcia, that the natives used centuries ago to help them crush grapes. The wines of Pietratoria are wonderfully balanced with the right combination of minerality, fruit, and earth from the rich volcanic and granite soils.

info@pietratorcia.it pietratorcia.it tech sheets

Who:
Iacono Family

Enologist:
Francesco Iacono

Land: 7 hectares

Where:
Forio, Isola d’Ischia, Naples • Campania - Italy

Founded: 1978

Land:
200 meters above sea level

Grapes:
WHITE: Biancolella, Forastera, Uva Rilla, Viognier, Malvasia di Candia aromatica, Fiano + Greco
REDS: Guarnaccia, Piedirosso, Aglianico + Sirah

Appellation: Ischia doc

Viticulture: organic practicing

Training system:

Annual Production

Pietratorcia | Biancolella

Ischia Biancolella DOC

GRAPE: 100% Biancolella, the most famous native Ischitan wine. Biancolella, on the whole, given the inaccessible places where there are vineyards, is truly a vine of Heroic Viticulture.

SOIL: Volcanic, sandy soil consisting of detritic materials resulting from the detachment of the green tufo Epomeo. Medium and high slope with terraced vineyards. West prevailing exposure. The grapes come from the terraced vineyards of Ischia and Forio, all characterized by good exposure and ventilation. The mature whitish is protected by the coolness of the sites' altimeters, which allows for selective preservation of particular aromatic varietal characteristics.

TRAINING: Pergola-trained vines, organic, dry farming. Guillotine pruning. Distance between plants is 100cm and between rows 130-160cm, depending on the width of the terrace. Plant density of about 6000 plants per hectare. Production from 8 to 10T / Ha.

HARVEST: Hand-harvested, Generally collected at the end of September or early October.

VINIFICATION: Vinified stainless steel, macerated in steel tanks at 10 ° C for 12 hours to facilitate the extraction of varietal aromatic characteristics. The mass is then pressed and must fermented in steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine is immediately shed. Finally, the product remains in steel on fine lees for at least 3 months and then filtered and bottled by the end of March.

LOOK: It is a crystalline wine, straw-yellow in color, with good consistency.

NOSE: Intense and complex (balsamic with notes of sage, thyme, oregano, tomato leaf, basil, floral with hints of jasmine, orange blossom, wildflowers and hawthorn, fruity with hints of peach yellow and white, plum and citrus fruits with hints of lemon and orange tree blossom, pineapple, almond, herbaceous, slightly spicy with hints of vanilla, broad with hints of honey, of evident minerality); refined.

TASTE: Soft and dry, with an immediate but elegant flavor, not excessively fresh, balanced, full-bodied, intense, persistent with a typically almond/mineral finish, refined, ripe, harmonious. It has good longevity.

PAIRING: Perfect with seafood appetizers, pasta with seafood, especially pasta with clams, seafood, crustaceans, and simple fish. Magnificent with the Caprese salad based on buffalo mozzarella.

Pietratorcia | ‘Tifeo’

Ischia Rosso DOC

GRAPE: 50% Guarnaccia, 50% Piedirosso. The grapes belong to the Piedirosso and Guarnaccia varieties from different areas of Forio.

SOIL: Volcanic soil

TRAINING: Pergola trained vines, organic, dry farming

HARVEST: Hand harvested, late September, beginning of October.

VINIFICATION: Vinification is not invasive and respectful of the tannic characteristics of the varieties: short maceration of the skins, racking, and fermentation at controlled temperature. The product is intense, vinous, fruity, has good alcoholic strength, and has a body ruby color.

LOOK: It is a limpid wine with a dark ruby-red color and a nice consistency.

NOSE: Intense and quite complex (vaguely balsamic with notes of tomato leaves, floral notes of violet, dried rose, and geranium, fruity with hints of black cherry, mulberry, and berries, herbaceous slightly musky, slightly woody, and certainly mineral), refined.

TASTE: Spicy-warm, dry, sapid, with evident but not aggressive tannins, good acidity, balanced, full-bodied, intense, persistent, refined, ripe, harmonious. Discreet longevity.

PAIRING: This is a perfect combination with the first courses of the Mediterranean tradition based on vegetables, legumes, and tomatoes, not too well-structured white meat, structured sea dishes (typically stewed), cold cuts, and cheeses of poor or medium refinement, with a preference for fairly fresh cheeses. Typically, this is paired with rabbit (try this recipe).

Pietratorcia | ‘Chignole’

Ischia Bianco DOC

GRAPE: Biancolella and Forastera. The grapes come from an almost extreme viticulture area, mainly exposed to the West, and historically considered to be of high quality.

SOIL: Volcanic, sandy soil consisting of detritic materials.

TRAINING: Pergola-trained vines, organic, dry farming. Thanks to the continuous exposure of the grapes during the afternoon, the grapes ripen early and assume an amber color.

HARVEST: Hand-harvested, Generally collected at the end of September or early October.

LOOK. Intense yellow color

NOSE: Intensely floral and spicy

TASTE: The mouth is in line with the nose, and hints of anise make it particularly fresh on the palate.

PAIRING: Pairing with white meat dishes, especially grilled is advisable.

Pietratorcia | ‘Vigne di Janno Piro’

Ischia Rosso DOC

GRAPE: Piedirosso and Guarnaccia

SOIL: Volcanic, sandy soil consisting of dendritic materials

TRAINING: Pergola trained vines, organic, dry farming

HARVEST: Hand harvested, late September, beginning of October.

VINIFICATION: Vinification is very soft and respectful of the tannic characteristics of the varieties: maceration of the skins for at least one week with continuous collateral (to develop aromas and tannins, this must surface layer is broken by hand and pushed back towards the bottom), racking and fermentation at controlled temperature.

LOOK: Dark ruby red color, with a velvety softness.

NOSE: Spice, minerals + a touch of earth.

TASTE: Intense, vinous, spicy, and soft on the palate, with good alcoholic and body gradation.

PAIRING: Coupling with risotto and white and red meats is recommended.