Hesperia
Who: Anna Della Porta & Peppino Della Porta
Where: Castel Campagnano (Campania, Italy)
What grapes: Pallagrello bianco, Fiano, Pallagrello black, Camaiola plus more
Key facts: A family history that has cultivated a passion for wine for generations. Tradition, competence and passion. These are the elements that contribute to giving character and strength to a project that is the result of the continuity and bond that the Della Porta family has always had with the art of wine.
Instagram: @lecantinedihesperia
Webpage: https://www.hesperiawine.com
Hesperia “Lydia” Terre del Volturno IGT
Viticulture: Organic
Soil type: Clayey soil with a high content of coarse sandstone
Elevation: 170m
Grapes: Pallagrello bianco, Fiano and other varieties from Campania
Method of fermentation: indigenous yeast fermentation + in steel at a controlled temperature between 15-16 ° C
Bottles Made: 1,700
Meyer lemon. Chalk. Beeswax. Anna della Porta is a remarkable winemaker. I consider her a friend. In the years since we first met at Cantina Morone (where she is consulting oenologist) Anna has dragged me through the best cellars and vineyards of her homeland, fed me the world’s best pizza and gelato and mozzarella di bufala, all the while building my understanding of the culinary landscape surrounding her hometown of Castel Campagnano. Pallagrello Bianco has a long history in Campania. By the 20th century it had essentially vanished from sight, until two academics in Anna’s village found a vine, and brought the variety back to commercial life.
Lydia is Anna’s mother, a legendary home cook whose fried stuffed peppers and parmigana I will remember till I depart this earth for that big beautiful osteria in the sky. The wine is made in a tiny cellar behind her home. — JM
Anna Della Porta, after graduating in Wine Sciences and Technologies at the University of Pisa, has gained a long experience as an oenologist working in wineries both in Italy and abroad. She has worked at the Department of Arboreal Cultivation of the University of Bologna and is currently involved in agricultural training at various types of institutions and institutes. Anna carries out consultancy activities as an agronomist and oenologist for the production of organic wines at various farms in Campania and Lazio.
Giuseppe Della Porta, known as Peppino, has an ancient bond with the land and since his youth he has been involved in the cultivation of olive groves and vineyards working on an oil mill in the center of Castel Campagnano and in the family winery. Respectful of natural cycles and an expert in organic agriculture, he managed the land in respect of nature, transmitting his passion for wine to his daughter Anna.
The cellars of Hesperia were born from the Della Porta family's passion for wine and for the land, starting with his father Giuseppe who has always been involved in the production of wine in Campania, lovingly making wines of white Pallagrello, red Pallagrello and Casavecchia. The daughter Anna, an oenologist who for years has been following companies that produce wines obtained from native vines of the Terre del Volturno, takes care of the company's production. The cellars of Hesperia are located in the province of Caserta, in those hills of the Terra di Lavoro, which has always been one of the oenological excellences of Campania. A patch of land that the Della Porta family takes care of in respect of nature and sustainable agriculture.