On the heels of my post about the wonderful Le Vigne di Raito in Raito, Italy, this post details our experience at another winery we visited on our trip to the Amalfi Coast, Cantina del Vesuvio Winery! We visited Cantina del Vesuvio after a full morning exploring Pompeii with a private guide and after hectic and crowded Pompeii, Cantina del Vesuvio was a welcome retreat away from the crowds, complete with delicious food and a decent amount of wine. I certainly recommend a visit after Pompeii.
Cantina del Vesuvio. I love these trees.
Cantina del Vesuvio Winery is literally located on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius (or Monte Vesuvio in Italian), hence the name. Given its location, the winery offers beautiful views, including of Sorrento and the Gulf of Naples and of Mount Vesuvius. We drove about 20 minutes from Pompeii to Cantina del Vesuvio, arriving slightly early for our pre-booked tasting and lunch (there is free parking on site!). And yes, a tour and lunch is the standard package. Its reasonably priced and easy to reserve online. And on that note, reservations are required, but I don’t think you need to make them too far in advance.
Cantina del Vesuvio.
THE WINERY TOUR OF CANTINA DEL VESUVIO
Cantina del Vesuvio is a family operation dating back to 1996, but which family has been cultivating wine on the premises since 1930 (!). We were warmly greeted at Cantina del Vesuvio with a glass of its delicious Spumante Rosé Extradry Capafresca ($36 USD/bottle), an extra dry sparkling rose. Always a nice touch. We waited on the Cantina’s patio for about 15 minutes before our tour got underway. Several other people/groups joined our winery tour, making the entire winery tour group about 20 people.
We are ready for wine!
Our first glass of a dry sparkling rose.
The Capafresca. This was the standout wine that we tasted in my opinion.
A very excited employee lead us through the vineyards on Vesuvio’s slope, and we eventually made our way into the Cantina’s cellar. The tour concluded in the cellar, where we were thereafter led to the Cantina’s rooftop for lunch with a view! Side note, while there were about 20 people on our tour, individual groups are seating together for lunch. You won’t be lunching with strangers. Further side note, if it rains, tastings are held indoors.
Me at Cantina del Vesuvio. It was cool (and kind of scary) to be so close to Monte Vesuvio.
One more of my friend Pryor and I at Cantina del Vesuvio.
TASTING AND LUNCH AT CANTINA DEL VESUVIO
Upon reaching the rooftop, our group was seated at a perfect corner table with views of Sorrento and the Gulf of Naples (and even Capri on a clear day!) on one side, and the vineyards of Cantina del Vesuvio and Vesuvio’s peak on the other. Someone came out pretty quickly to confirm if we wanted the Classic or Superior tasting (we went with the Superior) and food and wine came out shortly thereafter. For reference, the Classic tasting includes 5 glasses of wine, while the Superior includes 6 glasses of wine, with 4 of those glasses coming from the Cantina’s “superior” collection.
Lunch seating at Cantina del Vesuvio.
View from the Cantina rooftop. That’s Sorrento, Capri, and the Gulf of Naples in the background.
One more of the dining area for reference. We had very nice weather.
And here is our party having lunch.
And one more of the group for lunch!
ANTIPASTO AT CANTINA DEL VESUVIO
The first plate – an antipasto according to the Cantina – was completely full of food, and really, really delicious food. On the plate were several local salamis, three types of local cheese, including provolone and salted ricotta, two breads, a bruschetta made with local Piennolo tomatoes, and roasted vegetables. And I cannot select a favorite. The bruschetta was FANTASTIC. The bread, one of which was stuffed with bits of local park, was also insanely good. Finally, the pickled vegetables, which I expected to be my least favorite, were incredibly delicious. This was a perfect first dish. We could have stopped there.
The antipasto plate (this is per person).
The Cantina’s water pitchers. I brought a small one home.
And going back to the Piennolo tomatoes, it is a local variety grown only on the slopes of Mount Vesuvio. No surprise they were the star of lunch! And not to be outdone by food, our primo was paired with a Bianco Superiore Vesuvio Lacryma Christi DOC ($36 USD/bottle), followed by Rosato Vesuvio Lacryma Christi DOC ($36 USD/bottle) (rose, but this one not sparkling).
First glass of white wine – the Bianco Superiore.
SECONDO AT CANTINA DEL VESUVIO
Our main dish was equally delicious, a plate of fresh spaghetti made with durum wheat from Torre Annunziata (a small town close by) prepared with sauce of local Piennolo tomatoes and basil. We were all quite happy with the pasta but then Cantina del Vesuvio brought out the most delicious meatballs! Like the primo, the meatballs were really, really good. The secondo was paired with two glasses of red wine – the Rosso Superiore Vesuvio Lacryma Christi DOC ($36 USD/bottle) and the Rosso Riserva Vesuvio Lacryma Christi DOC Wax Seal ($59 USD/bottle). We enjoyed both glasses.
The pasta arrived family style, served by the wait staff.
A local spaghetti pasta.
The meatballs.
The main course with wine.
DOLCE AT CANTINA DEL VESUVIO
Our meal ended with, of course, dessert. The dessert was a homemade pasteria napoletana, which is a very local cake made with ricotta, grana cotto (cooked local grain), and candied fruit. The cake was light, and the taste was excellent. Our dessert was paired with the Cantina’s sweet wine -a white Passito Pompeiano IGT ($59 USD/bottle).
Pasteria Napoletana.
Side view of the torta.
The Cantina’s white passito dessert wine.
GRAPPA
After lunch, we visited the tasting room to try Cantina del Vesuvio’s grappa. The tasting room also sells bottles of wine, as well as a few souvenirs, such as a Christmas ornament (I clearly bought!) and the adorable chicken pitchers that adorn the tables. There is no pressure to purchase.
Grappa tasting.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Cantina del Vesuvio Winery: Via Panoramica, 15, 80040 Trecase NA, Italy. Open daily until 17:00. Reservations required. We opted for the Superior Tasting, at 60 euro per person. The tour, wine, and lunch were included. Pets and children welcome at the Cantina, and the winery accommodates all types of allergies, etc. Cantina del Vesuvio also offers complimentary transportation from Pompeii Porta Marina and Torre Annunziata and back on three days notice.
Here’s a picture of some of the parking at the Cantina.