Tenuta Ponte

Located in the lush, green heart of Irpinia, Tenuta Ponte touches upon all three of the region’s main DOCGs - Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino, and Taurasi - giving winemakers Alessandro and Graziano di Stasio full access to Campania’s array of classical wines. From an outsider’s point of view, it’s fair to say this 25-hectare estate is edenic all year round: the days are languid and warm, the nights cool, and the air fragrant with citrus and earth spice. Vines are planted at an average of 450 meters on the right side of the Calore River valley, and the whole region benefits from a southern Mediterranean climate with four distinct seasons. A blend of volcanic and clay soils lend all the wines poise, along with their telltale streaks of minerality (whites) and dusty black peppercorn (Aglianico). Focusing on small batches of concentrated wine, Alessandro and Graziano are charming country gents but have a world-class sense of purpose when it comes to their wine… white or red, everything they craft possesses elevated aromatics, fantastic viscosity, and a well-woven palate with deep integration. As for the name of the estate itself, “Ponte” means bridge in Italian, and the property is named after the 2000-year-old Roman arc you cross to get to their vines... Built during the Roman Imperial Age, the bridge was locally known as the "ponte dei diavoli" or "devils bridge". Folktales dictate that "demons" built the bridge to use it as a meeting place on dark and stormy nights... One certainly gets the sense that those first Romans on the scene made a distinct impression!