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Lucidity Wine Merchants
The Wine
What is this odd grape, Biancolella? It is one of Italy's 500+ documented wine grapes, most of which are unique to a small growing area. And this is no exception to that rule - Biancolella is a white Italian grape variety from Campania, and more specifically, from its nearby island of Ischia. It is considered one of the island’s most emblematic native grapes, producing wines that are fresh, aromatic, and influenced by the island's volcanic terroir.
The wine opens with a pale straw color touched by green reflections, a visual cue to its coastal origins. The aromas feature an enticing but unique note of chamomile tea followed by peach, jasmine, herbs and bright citrus, all tinged with memories of salty sea air. This light saline note is contributed by Ischia’s volcanic cliffs and maritime winds.
On the palate, the wine shows a linear profile, its freshness and sapidity giving it a mouthwatering, mineral drive. The texture is elegant and finely etched, never heavy, with a subtle persistence that leaves behind a whisper of citrus peel and wet stone. The overall impression is one of purity—a white wine shaped by volcanic soils, sea spray, and sunlight, expressing Biancolella in its most classic island form.
Pairings: "What grows together, goes together" is wise advice here, if you can include seafood in the "grows" category! Reach for this wine when serving Grilled fish, any shellfish, grilled octopus, and tinned fish or any oily fish. Cheese pairings include Mozz/Burrata, fresh goat cheeses, and Caprese Salad.
The Winery
Cenatiempo is a reference point for the authentic wines of Ischia, a beautiful island just off the coast of Naples. Their approach captures the interaction between the local grape varieties, the sea breezes, and the island's volcanic soils, resulting in memorable wines that are bright, mineral-driven and vibrant. The Mediterranean charm of Ischia in every glass!
In 1945 Francesco Cenatiempo founded his small négociant winery on the right bank of the port of Ischia, already envisioning the quality expressed by the Island’s wines. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, the Cenatiempo family started bottling selected batches of wines made by small local growers. They had identified particular vineyards as outstanding for their quality of the local varieties Biancolella, Forastera and Per’ e Palummo (aka Piedirosso).
In 1993 they started fermenting, aging and bottling selected parcels under their own name, and in 2005 they took control of the vineyard management for their most historic growers, furthering their direct oversight over the production process.
Since 2007, Cenatiempo’s wines are made from leased vineyards and from Cenatiempo’s estate vineyards (15 acres, divided among 17 parcels all over the Island). The combination of various exposures, volcanic soil types and elevation creates the complexity, purity and unique flavors in Cenatiempo's wines. Like many other Mediterranean islands, vineyards on Ischia are commonly cultivated in steep terraces and tended by hand, making winemaking in this Island a heroic endeavor!
Today, the winery is entirely owned and run by Pasquale Cenatiempo and his wife Federica.
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