As you will see from our clothing, this grape stomping occurred several weeks ago.  I am behind in the blogging of my personal adventures here in Italy with Sean and the kids, but I really think the days fly by faster than they did in the states.  It's that or I have gotten worse in my time management, I think it may be the latter.  

Nevertheless, I bought tickets through the USO for us to go on this grape stomping, wine tasting and lunch at Cantina del Vesuvio.  Picture this:  grape vines full of luscious purple and green grapes streaming along at the base of Vesuvio,

a small white house with the rustic ambiance and warmth of a farmhouse served as our restaurant,

steaming bowls of spaghetti,sun-ripened cherry tomatoes and homemade olive oil with a slightly smokey taste due to the volcanic ash in the soil, 

and of course, the wine...the Italians know how to make some wine.  

To say it was a nice outing is an understatement.

We began by meeting the owner and host of our event, Maurizio Russo.  He then led us to the area to be harvested.  We filled three bins for stomping.  We then carried them over to the stomping station and barrel while getting a bit of knowledge on their modern method of crushing the grapes.  Lines were formed, shoes removed, feet rinsed, grapes were stomped, photos were taken.  By the time we got to the barrel, it was slightly disgusting and very crushed.  I think Adin felt a bit sick and didn't really like the feeling...which was understandable.

After cleaning up, we found a table for lunch on the patio and learned the history of Cantina del Vesuvio.  Maurizio's father opened the winery in 1951, working day and night, using a horse-drawn carriage to deliver wine to restaurants.  Maurizio spent many years apprenticing under his father, learning everything about the business and the craft.  Skip ahead to 2000 and Maurizio decides to open up the winery for wine tastings.  With its beautiful view of the Bay of Naples and Capri in addition to it's incredible location at the foot of a volcano, it would be a great spot for tourists and locals to have an all around experience.  Maurizio changed his focus from high quantity to higher quality and a more memorable experience for the visitor.  Now, you can only purchase his wines and olive oils by making a visit to the cantina.  

For lunch he presented us with an antipasti of bruschetta with tomatoes from their garden, cheese, salami and bread drizzled with their olive oil.

Then a steaming bowl of the most delicious spaghetti I have ever tasted, most likely it was the volcanic ash from the tomatoes combined with perfectly cooked al dente pasta.  I'm beginning to love the crunch of pasta!  

We also tried four wines, I can't remember exactly what we tried, but I do know we tried two reds, a white and a sparkling rose.  He has four wines that are named Lacryma di Christi, Tears of Christ, a brand for a specific type of Neapolitan wine made from the grapes grown on the slopes of Vesuvio in the Campania region of Italy.  The name comes from the story that after Lucifer's fall from heaven, "Christ cried his tears on the land and gave divine inspiration to the vines that grow there."  (wiki source), there's also the story that Christ looked upon the Campania region and cried from it's beauty.  (I'm not sure which is correct.)  The land is extremely fertile with several villages and vineyards poking out of the slopes.  Maurizio explained to us that he uses no chemicals or fertilizers on his land, it is completely organic.

After the lunch we had time to wander around inside and out, make our purchases of wine and olive oil, and just enjoy the quiet countryside of Trecase.  Here's a few more from our time.

Buona giornata amici!

Mackenzie