In praise of Biancolella

Gerardo's home-made Biancolella on Ponza

Anyone reading recent Slotovino posts may have noticed our pleasure in drinking Biancolella this summer.

Antiche Cantine Migliaccio's dry Biancolella from Ponza

Known as the grape of Ischia it is also grown on Capri, Procida and Ponza as well as  on the mainland (or the continent as islanders call it) in Caserta. All together there were only 293 ha. in 2000 so it counts as rare.

Biancolella had been on our map since finding a Terradei Forastera/Biancolella blend in Germany in 2010 and subsequently informing readers that the Casa D'Ambra Frassitelli version is available at L'Antico restaurant in the Kings Road if you ask Franco nicely.

It doesn't figure in the Slotovino Hall of Fame though and we would like to put that right without further ado.

As well as Casa D'Ambra there are other producers on Ischia including Perrazzo.

Some of the Biancolella vineyards on Ischia require rather heroic cultivation such as the Casa D'Ambra vines above,

Cienatempo is another good producer.

We were served this pleasant bottle in a restaurant on Capri.

 As ever, Ian D'Agata's summing up is just right;

All Biancolella wines have the potential to be delicious, with complexity and depth of flavour uncommon in many Italian white wines...

 We agree entirely.