Visit and tasting of a family wine company in Taurasi!

The Winery Contrade di Taurasi was created in Taurasi, in the heart of Irpinia, in 1998 thanks to the firm will of Sandro Lonardo, a former retired letter teacher, who together with his wife - a professor of technical education - and daughters (an archaeologist and the other biotechnological researcher) has been producing (even if the family has been in the wine business since the 1700s) an award-winning wine for 30 years strictly following the rules of natural viticulture on a small productive scale.

The Company's rules can be summarized in four points: exclusive use of grapes from the vineyards owned by the family, use of native yeasts to transfer the aromas and flavors of the territory to the wine, optimization of vinification procedures and experimentation with new techniques both in the vineyard and in the cellar.

Experimentation is one of the salient aspects of the winery: for this purpose, the Lonardo family relies on a group of technicians of absolute importance, university professors from Naples and Palermo.

With this tour you'll visit the cellar and have the opportunity to learn how wines are produced here; then you'll enjoy the best part and will taste them.
You will start with a guided tasting with a member of the family: Alessandro and Rosanna (the Founders of the Company); Antonella (the Titular, daughter of Alessandro); Flavio (husband of Antonella, Professor of Italian and Archaeologist). You will discover what is hidden inside every bottle of wine, how to drink it and combine it with the dishes of our kitchen.
The you are guided to the visit of the winery and vineyards, to see firsthand where and how they produce wines.

The company's wine offer consists of an Aglianico DOC Irpinia, Taurasi, Taurasi Riserva and two Taurasi Cru: Taurasi Coste and Taurasi Vigne d’Alto.
The "Coste" comes from a plant of Aglianico di Taurasi 100% espalier of about 40 years, facing south, with a yield of about 40 quintals / hectare, and a plant density of about 1500 vines / ha.
The "Vigne d'Alto", is made with 100% Aglianico di Taurasi grapes, planting about 70-100 years, facing south, partly in American cuttings, partly in frank, with a yield of about 50 quintals / hectare and a planting density of about 1000/2000 plants / ha.
The grapes are selected in the vineyard and worked in barrels of 10, 20 or 30 quintals. Every two months in wine it is tasted and classified from 1 to 5 stars, as aging continues. Those with the lowest score are downgraded to Aglianico, the others become Taurasi. Aglianico is from 6 months to 2 years in the barrel. While the Taurasi makes more than two years of wood.