Our constant search for emotions of wine led us to the discovery of a young, exuberant, winery from Salerno: Viticoltori Lenza
Between vineyards and thoroughbreds
We are today in Pontecagnano, an industrial city between the Gulf of Salerno and the Picentini Mountains, inside an ancient farm once dedicated to the breeding of racehorses. A place where time seems to have stopped. In a densely industrialized area, near the airport (closed) of Salerno Costa d’Amalfi, among the greenhouses that exploit the surrounding land for the intensive production of vegetables, the Lenza family (in particular Valentino, his son Guido and the wife Ida), chose not to bow to the commercial reasons and to the exploitation of nature, realizing the project – considered by many as insane – to plant vineyards. The indissoluble bond of the family with the horse racing world is present in the company’s coat of arms and in the label of the bottles. The company began its production activity in 2013, starting from a six-hectare family-owned vineyard located in the municipality of Montecorvino Rovella (SA). The company’s prerogative is to use exclusively Aglianico grapes for its wines. Visiting the company and walking through the rows you are struck by the fervor and passion of Guido in telling his adventure. Guido is a dynamic person who never stops, always ready to face new challenges. His philosophy is to obtain quality wines without sophistication, creating products as much as possible representative of the territory from which they are born and grow, but with an eye on innovation.
The wines
Although they use only one variety of grape, the Lenza – assisted by the expert hand of the oenologist Sergio Pappalardo – actually produce four wines, each one capable of giving different emotions: Gabry, Donna Palmina, Valentinia and Massaro. The names of the wines mark the life of the Lenza family: the Gabry, to whom Guido is very tied because it is born from a personal idea and marks his entry into the company, is dedicated to his daughter Gabriella. It is a sparkling rosé, without sulphites, made with the ancestral method of refermentation in bottle. The Donna Palmina, which bears – instead – the name of Guido’s grandmother, nor is her still version. In addition to these two goodies, Aglianico is vinified in its traditional variants, the one with evolution for 12 months in steel (the Massaro) and that with evolution for 18 months in oak vats (the Valentinia). Valentinia is dedicated to the grandfather, while in the Massaro returns the link with the world of horses, being the latter, in southern Italy, the sharecropper. The day we spend with Guido is a succession of emotions and stories: we pass from the company’s history to the green of the vineyards to the scent of fermenting must, ending with the smells and flavors of Salerno’s gastronomic products wisely proposed in the Noschese bakery-delicatessen in Pontecagnano .
Wine Emotions
GABRY PGI COLLI DI SALERNO ROSATO AGLIANICO PET-NAT (SOFREE) – Pure joy! A sparkling wine, sparkling and fresh, with an intense fruity aroma. On the palate it strikes you for its liveliness and for its crispy aroma that is not tired. A joyful nectar, perfect for a good reunion with friends!
MASSARO IGP COLLI DI SALERNO ROSSO AGLIANICO – A warm, enveloping aglianico that strikes you with those hints of red fruit characteristic of the berry of origin. A well-balanced body wine that fascinates the palate. A thoroughbred of Aglianico!
GALLERY
