The Gismondi family have farmed the land in Cerreto Sannita for generations; grapes, olives and vegetables. Until 2018 the grapes were sold to the local cooperative, aside from the one tonne that Maria and Pasquale kept to vinify for the house. It was via family friend, Massimo Marchiori of Partida Creus that this family estate has taken a new direction.

Cerreto Sannita is located in the province of Benevento, one hour north east of Naples. The climate, whilst continental, is unique in that it is here. that the humid winds from the Tyrrhenian Sea collide with the southern section of the Apennines mountain range. Despite its location of just 60 km from the coast, the temperature is cooler with more frequent rains, in winter there is fog and night frost. The freshness you find in the wines from Gismondi, despite being from the south, is a reflection of this microclimate.

At 380 meters altitude, the vineyard covers 2 hectares on a small hill, the soils stoney clay. Planted under vine they have Falanghina, Malvasia di Candia, Sangiovese, Merlot and Freisa. The red varieties were planted 6 years ago on a south facing plot, the white varieties are 30 year old vines, the vineyard facing south west.

The family have only ever farmed in organics, without any chemical inputs, and without intent some biodynamic principles have been part of their agricultural practices for years, the traditional way with respect to nature.

It was in 2016 when Massimo and Antonella (Partida Creus) were in Cerreto Sannita that Massimo encouraged the family to take the wine to market.
March 2017, Maria and Pasquale prepared some boxes and headed to Wein Naturel in Cologne. They were encouraged by the response, gaining contacts and deciding that this would be the way forward rather than selling the grapes to the cooperative. At the beginning of 2018 Pasquale made the decision to retire, so it would not be until the 2019 harvest that the Gismondi family would produce wine for the market.

Their son Antonio returned from abroad, having spent much of his adult life working in restaurants, the estate was now under his guidance and La Vinicola di Antonio Gismondi was established. In January 2020, a meeting in Paris with Clovis Ochin led to an invitation to present at the Babas cellar tasting in Loire. This is where I was fortunate enough to meet Antonio and Anabel, introduced by Massimo and Antonella.

The grapes are harvested by hand, the work in the small cellar is minimal and without any additions. Elevage is in stainless steel tanks, their annual production is 14,000 bottles.