Ferrara's Greco di Tufo

Benito Ferrara

This enterprise was originally founded in 1860. We met Gabriella, the fourth generation of the family, who showed us the vineyard and cellar. It was her father, Benito, who moved the business forward from just producing grapes to making their own wine. Today they have 20 hectares of vines from which they produce around 55,000 bottles of wine per year. Their vineyards are between 450 to 600m above sea level. If that seems a wide range it is an indication of how steep the land is here. Their range includes both red and white wines but we were here for the indigenous Greco di Tufo and Gabriella makes two versions of this wine.

The first that I tasted is called Terra d’Uva or ‘Land of the Grape’ from 2018. This wine has spent seven months in steel on the lees and has a rich straw colour with hints of green. The bouquet is full, with almonds predominating and lemons in the background. On the palate it is rich and buttery with low acidity and the mild taste of Amalfi lemons. At 13% ABV, this is a deceptively strong wine. Enjoy it with a firm fish like swordfish or white meat or perhaps fresh cheese.

The second we sampled was called Vigna Cicogna, named after the vineyard that the grapes were harvested from, and was from 2019. It too has spent seven months in steel on the lees. It has a pale straw colour with elderflower and lemon on the nose. In the mouth there is lemon with a good acidity and a saltiness that almost seems like a fizz on the tongue. The grapes for this wine come from vines that are decades old and somehow this imparts an ability to age for this wine. Normally white wines are drunk young but this wine is perfectly drinkable up to 10 years and beyond. It will pair well with all seafood.