The road smells of fennel and Mediterranean vegetation. A small group of houses announces the small square of Foria, a hamlet of Centola, in the backcountry of Cilento that slyly looks at the more “pop” one on the coast.
Here we meet Mario Notaroberto. With a full beard and gentle but firm manner, he says that his vineyards grow a little further down. In Cilento, viticulture is a young matter. Especially in this area overlooking Basilicata and Calabria, where it is easier to find white figs or fields planted with chickpeas.
Ph. Raffaele Vassallo
Ph. Raffaele Vassallo
Mario, however, is in love with his bet. Behind an iron gate are six hectares of vineyards that mainly produce Aglianico, Fiano and Falanghina. The airy hills surround the steep slopes with vineyards and overlook the sea, the beaches of Palinuro and the caves reflected in the emerald waters.
This is the world of agriculture, of the patient search for the perfect glass of wine, of the rhythms of a daily life marked by the seasons. Notaroberto is the keeper of this patch of land scattered with luxuriant grapes: «Viticulture here is a great challenge. Cilento does not have the same reputation as Tuscany in this field, but on the other hand, nothing is really missing here to reach high levels».
Ph. Raffaele Vassallo
Ph. Raffaele Vassallo
His winery is called Albamarina, that is Sea Dawn, as shown by the sun resting on the sea, designed in the labels. The full-bodied wines flow in the glass, heirs of the peasant identity. Here - Marco says - we do not use chemicals. Each wine changes according to the course of the years and follows the cycles of the climate. This way the wine becomes an expression of the territory, together with the work in the vineyard and in the cellar. The intense ruby red color is the symbol of the character, strength and tenacity of those who have lived in Cilento since he was born.
Ph. Raffaele Vassallo
A few kilometers separate the vineyard from the cellar. The downhill alleys surround the countryside of Centola which a little further downs towards the sea, among vegetable gardens and orchards. The vineyards, once again, are almost hidden from view, as if they only want to reveal themselves to the eye of the most attentive and passionate traveler. But this is the characteristic of Cilento.
Ph. Raffaele Vassallo
Ph. Raffaele Vassallo
A beauty that is revealed little by little, without hurry, and is imprinted in the eyes and in the memory of those who want to know it fully. In short, spending a day with Mario Notaroberto means going beyond the veil: taste Cilento in the glass and experience the pleasure of doing it together.