Region: Ischia, Campania, Italy

Distributor's Notes:

"The winery was founded by Francesco D'Ambra, alias Don Ciccio. He was born in 1863 into a local grape and wine- producing family. He showed his interest in wine selling since a young age. At the turn of the century the island's wine was already known and much appreciated on Naples market. Business flourished; he bought the old Villa Garavini and cherished the idea that the time had come to move into a lar- ger building. Business continued to expand and the winery began to export. At that time over 250,000 hl wine were produced. After his death in 1952, his sons Riccardo, Andrea and Corrado took over. This was the beginning of a new era: they first founded a new company called D'Ambra Vini d'Ischia Spa and then made it a model cellar by introducing some major technological changes. Great wines were produced from Biancolella, Forastera and Per''e Palummo grapes; new vineyards were purchased in Ischia's most renowned grape-producing areas to grow only local varieties; a new winery was built in Panza, one of the top wine-producing region. In 1984 Mario D'Ambra became the sole owner of the company. Through hard work he managed to regain old markets and open new ones on a national and international level. Upon his death he was succeeded by his grandchildren Riccardo, Andrea and Corrado who introduced stricter criteria of grape variety selection in order to produce the finest wines. Since 2000 the enologist Andrea D'Ambra, the youngest of Mario's grandchildren, is the owner and manager of the winery: he is very proud to carry on the family tradition of winemaking that was started by his grand-grandfather Francesco in 1888 and is still alive after so many years."