Casebianche

In 2000, Elisabetta Luorio and Pasquale Mitrano left life in Naples to take charge of Elisabetta’s family farm about 1.5 hours down the coast in Torchiara, Cilento. As Elisabetta’s father was retiring, the pair and their family were drawn to a more rewarding life among the vines, olive groves, and citrus trees, devoid of the many stresses the metropolitan lifestyle brings with it. Elisabetta and Pasquale have joined a tradition first established by Greek colonizers in this area over 2,800 years ago. 

The first few years were a learning process, but in 2006 they were introduced to oenologist Fortunato Sebastiano who led them to their first bottling that year. The couple has practiced organic viticulture since taking over the farm, certified since 2009, and incorporates many biodynamic farming practices resulting in healthy soils full of biodiversity. Vines cover 5.5ha of the 15ha property, planted on clay-limestone soils. The vineyards are dry-farmed and all harvests are manual. 

In the cellar, the couple handles the unfermented must carefully, utilizing gravity in lieu of pumps when filling the fermentation tanks. Fermentations are natural and spontaneous, sulfur use is minimal, there is no fining or filtering. Aging takes place in stainless steel tanks or large neutral barrels. The sparkling wines are ancestral method, re-fermented in the bottle and aged sur-lie.

Annual Production: 30,000 bottles

Varietals planted: Aglianico and Fiano with smaller quantities of Pedirosso, Barbera, Malvasia, Trebbiano

Soil Composition: Clay/limestone

Total surface area: 14 ha

Vined surface area: 5.5 ha

Trellising system: Mostly Guyot with some Cordone Speronato

Vine age: 10-60 years

Method: Certified organic farming with some biodynamic methods

Certifying body: ICEA