The inspiring history of wine
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Vitis Aurunca
A wine adventure from Campania in Italy
A meeting between nature, tradition, innovation and two families
Just outside Naples in the Campania region of Italy, between the mighty Monte Massico mountain and the dormant volcano, Roccamonfina, near the Mediterranean Sea and the historic military road, Via Appia, lies the winery, Vitis Aurunca, which was founded in 2007.
Vitis Aurunca is a winery built by the Ceparano family in collaboration with a group of committed agronomists who want to produce wine where the richness of nature and human passion merge in each grape. Vitis Aurunca unites ancient Roman wine traditions with modern sustainability and technological precision.
The Ceparano family planted the first vines back in 2008, and today they produce red, rosé and white wines, as well as sparkling wines, and the first vintage was released in 2014, and showed a unique potential from the start. The wines are aged in both steel tanks and new French oak barrels. In addition to wine, citrus fruits, almonds and a very special Extra Virgin Olive Oil are produced from ancient trees that grow in the olive grove around the winery - and offer both organic and commercial agricultural products.
At Vitis Aurunca, ancient traditions are kept alive, along with the company's values of respect for the environment, care for biodiversity and ethics in production. Vitis Aurunca cultivates its land following sustainable agronomic practices, using water rationally, which promotes the preservation of the soil's structure and stability. Modern production technology and ancient wisdom merge: the use of efficient engines, reduced CO2 emissions and the use of renewable energy through solar panels. Plant and animal biodiversity also finds refuge here: from local herbs to mammals and birds that inhabit the fields, the area is a microcosm of life. Attention to agronomic practices and pest monitoring contribute to the health of the crops without compromising the environment. Ethics permeate all aspects of the company: from respect for man and nature, to the transparency of the production process and the quality of the final product. In every glass of Falerno del Massico wine you can experience a rich history, an unbroken bond between a generous nature and man, the guardian of an ancient heritage.
The import of these wines and olive oil to Denmark is carried out by the Janner Olesen family from Granhøjgaard in Himmerland, who started this wine adventure back in 2015.
Some of the reasons why the Janner Olesen family thought it would be interesting to import wines from this area are due to the values and special history of the place and its wines. Because it is precisely from this area that the Falerno wine concept comes from – or Falerno del Massico, as it is properly called.
Falerno wine has been known in Italy since ancient times, when most of the wine for the Roman Empire was produced and shipped from the area around Naples. This was brought to an abrupt end when the Vesuvius volcano exploded in 79 AD and laid the entire area waste. The Roman Empire still had to be supplied with wine, and this was the reason why areas such as Tuscany, Veneto, Puglia and Sicily emerged as new large-scale wine-producing areas. Wine production in the Campania district never subsequently reached the same level as in bygone times. In connection with the excavations around Pompeii outside Naples, references were found on stone tablets for the sale of Falerno wine from local wine taverns, where the tablet described that for 1 coin you could get standard wine, for 2 coins you could get a good wine and for 4 coins you could get Falerno. A wine can only be called a Falerno wine if it is produced in the area around the Mont Massico mountain, has been produced with the grapes from either Barbera del Sannio, Primitivo, Aglianico or Falanghina, and that the wine has had a minimum aging period of 12 months.
According to the legend from Roman mythology, the term Falerno originated when an old farmer named Falernus, who lived on the Mont Massico mountain, was visited by the God Bacchus, the God of wine and pleasure. Bacchus wanted to test the selfishness of man and had disguised himself as a poor beggar who sought shelter from a terrible storm with the old farmer. Falernus invited the beggar in, and although the old farmer barely had food and drink for himself, he shared what he had of milk, honey and bread with the beggar. Bacchus was so overwhelmed by the hospitality he had received that he decided to reward the old farmer. So when Falernus woke up the next morning, and the storm was over, he discovered that the beggar had disappeared and at the same time saw that all the hillsides around him had been transformed into wonderful ripe vineyards.
Since then, wine has been grown on Falernus' fields and over time ended up forming the framework for the concept - a Falerno wine.
Externally, wines from the Naples area are not that well known, and we want to help spread and tell the story of Falerno wine and give people here at home the opportunity to taste these historic wines that come from this fantastic area by the Mediterranean.
The collaboration has today developed into a strong bond of friendship, and the Janner Olesen family is in Italy at least once a year to visit the Ceparano family, follow the development of the winery, and at the same time discuss further development potential for the future and assess the quality of the upcoming wines.
Sustainability and respect for the earth
At Vitis Aurunca there is a strong focus on:
- Preserving soil fertility
- Careful use of water
- Minimal CO2 emissions and use of solar energy
- Protection of biodiversity – both flora and fauna
All of this makes the property a living microcosm where nature and wine production go hand in hand.
A wine universe in Campania
In 2014, Vitis Aurunca opened a modern winery in Cellole, where tradition and innovation meet. A wine cellar, tasting room, shop and panoramic terrace with views of the countryside make a visit to Vitis Aurunca a unique experience – all year round.
📍 Address : Tostrupvej 8, 9560 Hadsund
📧 Email : jjo@rostruphedegaard.dk
🌍 Web : www.vitisaurunca.com and www.jannerhandel.dk
📞 Contact person : Christian Janner Olesen +45 20 33 62 33