Wine as a moment of aggregation of a territory in which everyone feels involved in the promotion and exaltation of a well-defined historical and cultural identity. Above all, wine as a network affirmation that manages to involve all the most authentic forces of the territory without distinction of bell towers. An idea, a utopia? Far from it, an extraordinary reality that has come to light and materialized in the space of a handful of months and which is called "Mosaic for Procida".
That “mosaic” is a wine made up of 27 wineries from all 5 Provinces of Campania that have joined a visionary and fantastic project, at the same time, conceived by Gaetano Cataldo, tireless promoter of Identità Mediterranea, and Roberto Cipresso, great winemaker of internationally renowned who has provided consultancy, from Croatia to California, from Spain to Argentina, already an interpreter of the celebratory wine for the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy on commission from the Presidency of the Republic, of the celebratory wine for Pope John Paul II and for Pope Francesco Bergoglio : creating a wine of excellence to celebrate the island of Procida Italian Capital of Culture 2022, an icon of the Mediterranean and at the same time attesting to the beating heart of a food and wine heritage of biodiversity unique in the world. A project that only in a region animated by a strong sense of belonging like Campania has been able to see the light and which today, having been successfully implemented, can be an example for many regional food and wine districts of the country.
Limited edition for a wine that becomes a testimonial of the territory
With a limited edition of about 6000 bottles and special formats, this new white wine made by Roberto Cipresso is a great cuvée of wines from carefully selected wineries in the region according to principles of territoriality, environmental sustainability, quality and ethical enology which required months of studies and hard work. High-sounding names of Italian enology have converged into that glass, which refer to great historical traditions but also to the levels of excellence achieved by Campania winemakers in recent years at a national and international level: Falanghina, Fiano, Greco, Coda di Volpe, Asprinio, Biancolella .
The idea took shape on September XNUMX, after a meeting between Roberto Cipresso and Gaetano Cataldo in Pontelatone. Gaetano Cataldo immediately took charge of selecting the wineries that would later become the tiles of the Mosaic, the principles were simple and aimed at giving ownership to all the wine-growing districts of Campania in an equitable manner: territoriality, sustainability and oenological-productive ethics .
The first wine samples arrived in Montalcino in Roberto Cipresso's experimental cellar on 10 October. After careful oenological analyzes and various combinations, he managed to formulate the first projections of the grand cuvée. The assembly then took place in Campania at the Agricola Bellaria cellars in Avellino, precisely in Roccabascerana. Roberto Cipresso assisted by Luca Zirpoli, the house winemaker, Mario Mazzitelli, his former student as well as patron of Lunarossa Vini e Passione, together with Gaetano Cataldo brought together the masses in a unicum destined to make school: no one had ever tried to make a so many masses of white wine. Someone used the right expression: they served as the colors of a painter's palette to create a choral fresco of Campania's wine and food and wine heritage to bring to everyone's attention in a tribute to Procida, the capital of culture.
And finally today it is a reality: Mosaico is a great synthesis wine of the territory that manages to surprise for its personality. Coastal wine with the backbone of the hinterland and great drinkability. Scent of white flowers, yellow peach and medlar with notes of mint, basil seeds and remnants of blond tobacco. On the palate it is voluminous and persuasive with a marked acidity with sapid notes and a very fine almond finish. Obviously its most suitable combinations are with the musts of Campania and Procida food and wine: buffalo mozzarella rabbit Ischia style, spaghetti with sea urchins as they know how to make them in Procida and a classic evergreen: "menesta maritata".
The celebratory bottle in magnum format will be donated to institutional, religious and political authorities, exponents of the world of culture and entertainment, European heads of state and all the actors who have given their contribution to the prestige of Procida.
A new engaging approach to enhance quality agri-food
What makes Mosaico per Procida unique is that it is a spontaneous and unfunded project, the example of a network that testifies to a demonstration of the values to which all the protagonists of this beautiful enterprise feel connected, proof of their attachment to the culture and of collective entrepreneurial intelligence exemplary for national and international public opinion.
“This wine – underlines Antonio Lucisano, an expert in the enhancement of quality agri-food products – toasts the great beauty and indicates the path we will have to follow in the future, that of solidarity, contamination and sharing. Although Naples is the most sought-after destination in the field of food and wine tourism, we are unable to grasp even 10 percent of the infinite possibilities we have before us. Because there are companies that are too small or family-run, therefore lacking an excessive vision of what the market demands. To cement our reputation, the indispensable prerequisite is to stick together".
Mediterranean Identity - explains Gaetano Cataldo creator and animator of the initiative - was born in 2016 to disseminate the culture of the Mare Nostrum and enhance the value of every single expression at 360°. We do this through dialogue with Associations like ours, promoting the creation of events, the drafting of valuable content and the creation of networks resulting from the intertwining of people and places, museums and schools, restaurateurs, innkeepers and producers: territorial itineraries that are able to give authentic experiences to the visitor, as slow tourism wants, and that are linked to each other. We do this because we believe in the synergy that is created thanks to passion, assertive communication and teamwork and we do it by bringing into play the singularities of each to achieve multiple benefits for the community and the environment. All this aims to make us virtuous ambassadors of the Mediterranean lifestyle but also custodians of a form of knowledge and tradition that absolutely must be preserved and handed down. We see the Mediterranean Sea and its coasts as a single large Fluid Continent that unites Peoples and Cultures between past, present and future but we also know that to know where you are going you need to know and preserve your roots".
From 19 to 22 May, in the San Domenico Maggiore complex of the Campania capital, Mosaico per Procida will be among the protagonists of the Mediterranean Wine Art Fest promoted by the Mavv wine art museum and will inspire, anticipates the president Eugenio Gervasio, a toast for peace that will mark the launch of a fundraiser to help Ukrainian refugees.
Here is the list of wineries selected for Mosaicum
AVELLINO
Bellaria farm (Roccabascerana), Petilia farm (Pincera), Giovanni Molettieri winery (Montemarano), Donnachiara (Montefalcione), Struzziero (Venticano).
BENEVENTO
Cautiero (Frasso Telesino), Fontana delle Selve (Castelvenere), Fosso degli Angeli (Casalduni), Masseria Venditti (Castelvenere)
Caserta
Cantina Alois (Pontelatone), The Bourbons (Caserta), Port of Mola (Galluccio), Terre del Principe (Castel Campagnano), Villa Matilde Avallone (Cellole)
NAPLES
Isola di Capri Winery (Capri), Cantine del Mare (Monte di Procida), Casa Setaro (Trecase), Il IV Miglio (Quarto), La Pietra di Tommasone (Ischia/Lacco Ameno)
SALERNO
Cantina Rizzo (Felitto), Colle del Corsicano (S. Maria di Castellabate), Fattoria Albamarina (Centola), Lunarossa Vini e Passione (Giffoni Valle Piana), Marisa Cuomo (Furore), San Salvatore 1988 (Giungano), Viticoltori De Conciliis ( Prignano Cilento).
