Biancolella grape, typical of central Italy and the islands.
Native to the Campania region of Italy, the Biancolella grape arrived on the island of Ponza from Ischia (in the Gulf of Naples) in the 18th century, when the city was under the rule of the Bourbon monarchs. At that time, the cultivation of grapes in the Lazio region was allowed exclusively on the island of Ponza. The grapes grew at the foot of a steep sea cliff topped by the imposing Il Faro della Guardia lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1886 and is 112 meters above sea level. Its rotating white beam of light has a range of 24 nautical miles and has a mostly southern sweep of 225 degrees.
Biancolella is a white grape variety common in Campania, in the provinces of Naples, Caserta and especially on the island of Ischia and Capri, also in France in Corsica.
Most likely, the ancient Greeks brought the biancolella to Ischia. The first written mentions of this grape variety date back to 1868. Biancolella produces fresh and highly acidic wines with aromas of flowers and fruits, almonds and herbs. Wines are an excellent accompaniment to fish dishes, seafood pasta and young tender cheeses.
