I have some gorgeous photos of a sailing trip to Ischia that I took years ago but they aren’t digital and thus, here I am left with my trusty map of Italy. This week’s grape variety hails from Ischia in the Campania region of Italy. Ischia is the largest of the Isole Flegree or the Phlegraean islands. The others are Capri, Procida, Vivara, and Nisida. Forastera is a white grape variety that produces dry white wines generally with other white varieties such as Biancolella. However, it can also be made into a mono-varietal wine.
The soils on the island are quite fertile and tend to be volcanic. Sea breezes cool the vines and they grow at a considerable height. When looking up this variety I discovered that it was recognized in 1966 and that Ischia became Italy’s second DOC wine.
Forastera is also sometimes called Uva dell’Isola. It is used to make both still and sparkling wines. I have never tried this particular wine from the Casa D’Ambra but the description of how and when the winery began made me want to run out and buy a bottle. Check it out.
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