Daniel Thomases reports that, thanks to local producer Mastroberardino, the village just south of Naples destroyed by Vesuvius and now visited by millions of tourists is once more a wine producer. They have planted one hectare with the local Piedirosso grape and in their first vintage, 2001, produced all of 150 cases of Villa dei Miseri, called after one of the more popular villas.
The Piedirosso is well adapted to the volcanic soil here and is supposedly supplemented by local curiosity Sciascinoso, otherwise known as Olivella. The vineyard has been extremely densely planted, with 8000 vines on the first hectare...