Naples is a city that stirs the senses. From the moment you arrive, the streets hum with life — Vespas darting through traffic, the scent of freshly baked sfogliatella wafting from cafés and the dramatic sight of Mount Vesuvius looming over the Bay of Naples. This city is a place of contrasts, where grand palaces stand beside crumbling facades and priceless artistic treasures hide in plain sight.
A visit to Naples is incomplete without exploring its historic and cultural highlights. Naples boasts an extraordinary collection of Baroque art, with masterpieces by Caravaggio, Ribera and Luca Giordano adorning its churches and museums, offering a glimpse into the city’s deep artistic and historical legacy.
Among its cultural riches, is the Chiostro di Santa Chiara, a serene oasis in the city’s heart, which offers peace amid the chaos with its beautifully decorated majolica tiles and lemon-scented gardens. The Cappella Sansevero houses the extraordinary Cristo Velato, a marble sculpture of Christ draped in an intricately carved veil so delicate that it appears almost translucent. Beneath the streets, Napoli Sotterranea (Underground Naples) reveals ancient tunnels and cisterns dating back to Roman times, while the National Archaeological Museum houses an unparalleled collection of artefacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum, providing a fascinating glimpse into ancient Roman life.
NAPLES A ITS LEGENDARY CUISINE
Naples is the birthplace of pizza, and Pizza Napoletana is more than just food — it’s a cultural institution. A must-try, is the classic Margherita, with its perfect blend of San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, basil and a blistered crust. Another favourite is the Marinara, topped simply with tomatoes, garlic, oregano and olive oil. For an authentic experience, visit historic pizzerias like L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, Sorbillo or Starita, where generations of pizzaioli have perfected their craft.
Beyond pizza, Naples is a street food paradise. The cuoppo napoletano, a cone filled with fried delights like zeppole (savory dough balls), arancini (rice balls) and frittatine di pasta (deep-fried pasta cakes), is the ultimate on-the-go snack. Spaghetti alle Vongole, made with fresh clams and Impepata di Cozze, a spicy mussel dish, highlight the city’s seafood traditions. One of Naples’ most beloved dishes is ragù napoletano, a slow-cooked, rich tomato sauce simmered for hours with tender cuts of meat, creating a deeply flavourful pasta sauce that embodies the warmth of Neapolitan home cooking.
No meal is complete without dessert. Sfogliatella, a crisp, multi-layered pastry filled with ricotta and citrus zest and Babà al Rum, a rum-soaked sponge cake, are must-tries. Pair either with a Neapolitan espresso, sipped at a bustling café counter, the perfect way to experience the city’s vibrant coffee culture.
THE WINES OF CAMPANIA: A JOURNEY THROUGH VOLCANIC TERROIR
While Mount Etna in Sicily often steals the spotlight for volcanic wines, Campania’s winemaking regions, especially around Vesuvius and the Campi Flegrei, offer equally compelling expressions of Italy’s ancient viticultural heritage. The vineyards surrounding Vesuvius produce wines with remarkable minerality, shaped by centuries of volcanic ash and pumice-rich soils. From the slopes of this formidable volcano to the craters of the Campi Flegrei, winemakers harness the unique terroir to craft wines that tell the story of fire, earth and time.
THE WINES OF VESUVIUS: SORRENTINO ESTATE AND BOSCO DE’ MEDICI
Sorrentino Estate, with a cellar founded 300 years ago, produces wines that capture this unique terroir’s essence. Sustainability is at the heart of Sorrentino’s winemaking philosophy, with organic farming practices dating back to 2001. Their vineyards, propagated with heritage cuttings from the 1860s, preserve ancient genetic material, ensuring wines deeply rooted in tradition. Made from indigenous varieties such as Caprettone and Piedirosso, Sorrentino’s wines offer a taste of history and a profound connection to the land. Complementing its winemaking, the estate also offers warm hospitality and a restaurant where visitors can enjoy traditional Campanian cuisine paired with its expressive volcanic wines, creating an immersive experience that celebrates the flavours of the region.
Another exceptional winery near Pompeii is Bosco de’ Medici, which combines viticulture with hospitality. Visitors can enjoy tastings paired with locally sourced d Beautiful vineyard ishes while taking in views of the ancient ruins. The winery’s eight hectares of vineyards, located within the Vesuvius National Park, thrive in mineralrich, sandy soils, which protect the vines from phylloxera, allowing many to remain ungrafted. Some of the estate’s vines are over 100 years old, adding depth and authenticity to their wines. Bosco de’ Medici embraces both tradition and innovation, using stainless steel, oak tonneaux and unlined terracotta amphoras in the winemaking process. With a cellar located in the heart of modern Pompeii, just steps from ancient ruins, the winery embodies a seamless connection between history, nature and artisanal winemaking.
CAMPI FLEGREI: THE VOLCANIC HEART OF NAPLES
The Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) is one of Europe’s most geologically active areas. Here, you are not just near a volcano, you are living inside one. This super-volcano’s craters and fumaroles create a dynamic landscape, shaping the region’s wines for centuries.
One standout winery is Cantine Astroni, a family-run estate near the extinct Astroni crater. Specializing in Falanghina and Piedirosso varieties, the winery is dedicated to preserving the region’s rich winemaking heritage. Cantine Astroni embraces both tradition and innovation, focusing on pre-phylloxera native vines (ungrafted), producing Campi Flegrei DOP Falanghina and Piedirosso that capture the essence of this extraordinary terroir.
La Sibilla, located in the Campi Flegrei, cultivates ungrafted Falanghina and Piedirosso vines on the volcanic terraces of Baia, preserving a viticultural heritage untouched by phylloxera. The Di Meo family, now in its fifth generation, tends these vines manually, embracing both tradition and innovation. From the Cruna Delago vineyard overlooking Lake Fusaro, they produce a Falanghina that reflects the region’s unique terroir. Committed to reviving forgotten native varieties like a calabrese and a marsigliese, they blend ancestral wisdom with modern techniques, crafting wines that are a true expression of Campi Flegrei’s history and volcanic landscape.
FALERNO DEL MASSICO: THE WINE OF CAESARS
This region was once the heart of Falernian wine production, the most renowned wine of ancient Rome, cherished by emperors and immortalized by poets. Today, the Gennaro Papa Estate continues this legacy, crafting wines that balance tradition with modern techniques. Their vineyards include 130-yearold ungrafted Primitivo vines, a rarity in Europe, producing deeply concentrated wines with remarkable aging potential. Sustainability is central to their approach, with organic farming methods preserving biodiversity and the genetic heritage of the land.
MARISA CUOMO: WINEMAKING ON THE AMALFI COAST
Perched on the cliffs of Furore, overlooking the Mediterranean, Marisa Cuomo produces wines that are as stunning as their surroundings. The combination of steeply terraced vineyards, sea breezes and centuries-old winemaking traditions results in fresh, aromatic wines full of character. Since 1980, Andrea Ferraioli and Marisa Cuomo have championed the unique terroir of the Amalfi Coast. Their Furore Bianco, a blend of indigenous varieties like Fenile and Ginestra, captures the essence of this dramatic landscape.
FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO: A MODERN CLASSIC
For those seeking a luxurious wine experience, Feudi di San Gregorio offers one of Campania’s most refined hospitality programmes. Located in the heart of the Irpinia region, this winery is known for elevating local varieties such as Aglianico, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino to world-class status. Their resort-style hospitality includes a Michelin-starred restaurant, where guests can enjoy innovative cuisine paired with wines that showcase the depth and complexity of Campania’s terroir.
Irpinia is a remarkable wine terroir, not only for its suitability for viticulture but for its ability to preserve its natural richness and biodiversity over time. Through careful research, we have selected the most intriguing vineyards, transforming their grapes without compromise to create our Vini Unici (Unique Wines), wines that tell the deeply rooted stories of Irpinia’s vineyards. These include Serpico, crafted from centuries-old vines in Taurasi; Piano di Montevergine, a Riserva from its namesake vineyard; Sirica, made from a rediscovered ancient varietal; and Pàtrimo, a rare Merlot cru that originated when farmers mistakenly planted it, believing it to be Aglianico.
NAPLES AND CAMPANIA– A PERFECT PAIRING
Naples is a city of contrasts – historic yet vibrant, chaotic yet full of beauty. It serves as the perfect gateway to explore Campania’s rich winemaking traditions. From the volcanic slopes of Vesuvius to the windswept cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, the wines of this region tell a story of resilience, passion and a deep connection to the land. Whether wandering through the ruins of Pompeii, savouring fresh seafood along the coast or toasting with a glass of Falanghina as the sun sets over the Bay of Naples, one thing is certain: Campania offers an unforgettable wine tourism experience.