Mastroberardino

Mastroberardino's proprietary named Taurasi wine Radici

Mastroberardino is an Italian winery located in Atripalda, in the province of Avellino, in the Campania region of Italy. Founded in 1878, the winery is known for its production of Taurasi DOCG as well as its ampelography work in identifying and preserving ancient grape varieties like Greco and Fiano.[1][2][3] The work of the Mastroberardino family, particularly Antonio Mastroberardino, in this field is widely respected and Antonio is often called "The Grape Archaeologist".[4]

The winery is also behind the Villa dei Misteri project at Pompeii that is recreating the wines of the ancient Roman city by replanting vineyards that were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 using the same ancient grape varieties, viticulture and winemaking techniques of that period.[2][5][6]

For most of the 20th century, the winery was responsible for more than half of Campania's denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) wine production and over 90% of the Taurasi DOCG production. But those percentages have declined as other producers have moved into the area and started producing DOC/G level wine.[7]

Today the family owned winery is operated by Antonio and his sons Carlo and Piero Mastroberardino with an annual production of around 150,000 cases produced from grapes grown in the family's 60 hectare (150 acre) vineyards in Campania and purchased elsewhere.[8] The Mastroberardinos are widely credited with bringing favorable critical attention to the wines of Campania, particularly for previously unheralded wines like Lacryma Christi, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino.[9]

  1. ^ J. Gordon (ed) Opus Vino pg 551, DK Publishing New York 2010. ISBN 978-0-7566-6751-1.
  2. ^ a b G. Harding "A Wine Miscellany" pgs 23-25, Clarkson Potter Publishing, New York 2005. ISBN 0-307-34635-8.
  3. ^ J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 242 Mitchell Beazley 1986. ISBN 1-85732-999-6.
  4. ^ H. Johnson Vintage: The Story of Wine pg 73 Simon and Schuster 1989. ISBN 0-671-68702-6.
  5. ^ "World Briefing | Europe: Italy: Pompeii's Wine". The New York Times. 2003-05-02. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  6. ^ Bruce Johnston "Experts recreate the Pompeii wine praised by Pliny" The Telegraph April 24th, 2003
  7. ^ M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy Italian Wines for Dummies pg 206-208 Hungry Minds 2001. ISBN 0-7645-5355-0.
  8. ^ K. Gargett, P. Forrestal, & C. Fallis The Encyclopedic Atlas of Wine pg 316 Global Book Publishing 2004. ISBN 1-74048-050-3.
  9. ^ V. Hazan Italian Wine pgs 61, 208-211 Random House Publishing, 1982. ISBN 0-394-50266-3.