Just when you think the heat has taken its final toll on the countryside, when the trees are wilting with thirst, when the high grasses are nothing but a tinderbox, when you can’t stand another day of brutal sunshine, the rain finally arrives.  Soft and gentle, it soothes and cools and relieves your anxiety, giving way to a physical feeling of release and renewal.   People here describe it as sense of grace.  When you live in southern Italy it’s easy to see the ties between the people, their land and livelihood, natural and supernatural phenomena, and religion.  Events that are promoted by the Church are often tinged with a little paganism, such as in the food festivals that take place throughout the year: there is the cherry and apple sagre at S. Agata dei Goti, the wheat festival at Foglianise, even the mushrooms are feted at Cusano Mutri; all these crops are anxiously awaited and their bounty celebrated.  A case in point is the Festa dell’Uva at Solopaca.

Solopaca is a small town (population just over 4000) located at the base of the Taburno Mountain and has been known for its wines since the 12th century although its origins date back to pre-history. Like many towns in Campania, it was invaded by the Normans after the fall of the Roman Empire.  In the 15th and 16th centuries it came under the rule of feudal families such as the Monsori, the Lagonesse and the Caraccoioli.

Grapes and wines represent the mainstays of the local economy, so this is a really important event.  Mayors from all over the region are seated on a raised platform strategically placed before the main church, accompanied by the city’s police force carrying their colorful municipal banners.  Solopacan’s parade along the main street in period costumes, solemly pacing ahead of the sbandieratori (flag throwers). There are brigands and pulcinellas, peasants playing the putipù, kings, queens and damsels, gayly defying the brooding clouds that are gathering over the mountain tops.

Hundreds of people line the streets, young and old, eating sausages, broiled corn and ice cream, waiting to see the giant floats as they pass by (which will then procede to Naples to be displayed the following day).   But they all have one thing in common: they are completely covered and carefully inlaid with grapes: green, gold and black.  First come the various wine producers with their logos interpreted as mosaics of grapes.  Then comes the triumphant Madonna, elegantly cloaked in black and gold (grapes).

Then follow the bigger floats with subjects running from political satire to television shows.  My favorite had a sign boasting, “Non farti prendere dal panico, futtite ‘na bottiglia e Aglianico” (”Don’t get yourself into a panico, relax and drink a bottle of Aglianico”).

I enjoy participating in these events where the sacred and profane intermingle quite naturally.  A nun strolls with a woman in excruciatingly tight pants; priests and politicians pose amicably in front of the church. Life is too damn short and everyone wants to enjoy the last summer sun… as Winter is just around the corner.

It’s been three years since we moved to the Sannio and as memories of the big city fade, an ever-increasing regard for the process of Nature unfolds before me. While walking my dog I welcome the morning dew. I smell the earth, sense the weather and delight in the taste of fresh fruits and vegetables appena colti. Springtime is luscious in every sense: there is a promise of good things, in the greenness of the grass, the budding fruit trees, the climbing pea stalks and the sweet smell of jasmine.

Cantine Aperte takes place on the last Sunday in May and is a perfect occasion to appreciate all this in a single day and to learn what makes the wines in this area so special. For me and the wines of the Sannio, it is the roses…everywhere.

This might seem like a feeble attempt at waxing poetic, but it’s basically true. The oenological reality of this territory is still one of small, single-estate producers that heralds back to a time when families lived off the land and worked their orchards. And so it was that before the advent of metal wire, farmers used their fruit trees as a support for the grape vines. And since the different crops were hand-picked it was easy to harvest (for example) the pears without damaging the grapes and vice versa.

It is wonderful to see the vestiges of this tradition in the Sannio which is why a well-made Aglianico will taste of wild berries, violets, walnut and tobacco and a good Falanghina will speak of apples and almonds and the presence of jasmine and roses.

It all depends on what you’re looing for.

If your idea of a vacation is a place full of people, a whirlwind of activities and outlet shopping malls, this is not the place for you.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for somewhere quiet, far from the madding crowd, yet within easy access of Rome, Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, then this is the place for you.

Mesogheo (pronounced me-SO’-gheo) is a marvelous bed & breakfast inn, surrounded by lush centuries-old olive groves at the foot of the Camposauro mountain in the province of Benevento. It started as a renovated farmhouse for its owners Fabrizio and Lucia. On the ground floor they opened a small restaurant which offered Lucia’s creative cooking based totally on local produce and food sources. With small intimate rooms and a well-stocked library, the atmosphere was at once subdued yet warm and friendly, ideal for making and meeting friends. Their guests were so taken with the location that they were reluctant to leave and always asked if they had rooms. They therefore decided to build three isolated ‘dependences’ with 10 drop-dead gorgeous rooms (all ensuite with fireplaces) and added two swimming pools.

The area is perfect for pleasant walks and excursions. Among the rolling hills, vineyards and olive groves it is easy to tour the medieval towns and cities as well as the major tourist sites. It is also a stone’s throw away from the thermal baths of Telese.
A stay at Mesogheo makes for a very special kind of vacation. Nothing is imposed but everything is at your fingertips: good food, good company, relaxation, culture and extraordinary beauty.

Visit Fabrizio and Lucia’s website at www.mesogheo.com to read more and see pictures of this extraordinary estate.

Ann Jacobs from Hawaii wrote this review of our wine tour on the Slow Travel website

“When Barbara Goldfield popped up on the Slow Travel Message Board, I couldn’t contain my excitement. We would be visiting our son-in-law’s relatives in Bucciano, and I was thrilled to find someone who knew about Campania inland, not just the Campania of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. After a spirited email correspondence, I arranged for a one-day wine tour for the five of us plus the Italian cousin. We spent a very full and delightful day with Barbara and Federico. They live in Sant’Agata dei Goti (Saint Agatha of the Goths) a picturesque medieval town in the hills about 45 kilometers from Naples.
Barbara and Federico picked us up at our hotel in Paolisi at 9:30am in a very comfortable mini-bus. Our first stop was the town of Sant’Agata. An early Christian martyr, Agatha was the remarkably beautiful daughter of a distinguished family. She spurned the proposals of the Roman Senator Quintianus, vowing to dedicate her life to Christ. He promptly subjected her to torture, including cutting off her breasts. She was miraculously healed by St. Peter that night, but then was further tortured and eventually succumbed.
Gruesome as the story is, the town is lovely. We walked all over, Federico relating the history and legends, Barbara stopping to chat with the various townspeople who all welcomed us warmly.
The town is built on a rocky outcrop of volcanic stone. It has wonderful views over the surrounding countryside from the battlements all round, and its narrow streets are crammed with churches and historical sites with NO TOURISTS! The bridge over a small river provided an incredible view of the “apartment” houses. Each floor added as a family grew.
The countryside is stunning with 3,000 to 4,000 foot mountains, some terraced hillsides, and many vineyards with olive and grape vineyards. It’s green, lush, and with small towns with clustered homes and Byzantine towered churches. The climate was sunny with a good breeze, a welcome relief from the 100+ (F) degrees in Florence. We toured a cheese factory - too late for the daily making of the cheese, but we saw the finished product and all the equipment, and Federico translated the process as related by the owner’s teen-age daughter.
Before lunch at L’Antro di Alarico, we visited the restaurant’s cellar, dug deep into the tufa rock, full of old wine-making implements.
Lunch was delicious and even included humus since the restaurateur is Jordanian. We posed for a group picture in front of the statue of Sant’Alfonso de’ Liguori, and then on to the wine!
Our driver got a little bit lost on the way to our first vineyard, Corte Normanna, but Federico had a talking GPS and the scenery was drop dead gorgeous so we didn’t mind. The vineyard is about 20 hectares and the tour was unlike anything we’ve experienced in California. First of all, the grapes are ancient; this is what the Romans drank! The owner, Alfredo Falluto took us out to the grapes and spent almost an hour explaining how the grapes were grown; one bunch per vine, rows far apart with no cross rows, harvested by hand, then gently pressed, and the rest of the process. From vine to grape refrigeration in three hours. Federico did a marvelous job translating for us, and it was obvious Alfredo was extremely proud of the work he was doing. Then a wine tasting of two Falanghinas and two Aglianicos. We had promised ourselves that we wouldn’t buy any wine this trip as we didn’t want to schlep it home, but oh, the wine! Couldn’t resist, both the wine and wanting to help this young man make a go of his endeavor.
Then on to a second vineyard, bigger and more professionally run, Masseria Venditti. It has been in the owner’s family since 1595 except for a few years around the turn of the 20th century when they sold the vineyard and went to the States for a few years, but then returned and bought the farm back.
Later we asked Federico why so many Italians left at the turn of the 20th century. His explanation, which sounds reasonable: before the Unification of Italy, the local nobility cared for the land/people because it was in their own best interest to have the land self-sustaining. After unification in 1868, the south came under control of the House of Savoia who imposed such incredibly high taxes that the population became pauperized and the social structure annihilated. Many people emigrated, others rebelled and became “freedom fighters” or “brigands” as they were labeled by the nobles of the north.
Back to the wine. This owner gave a tasting lecture, describing the characteristics that made his vintage unique. Again, obviously a man who was passionate about his work. So of course, we bought some more wine.
We returned to our hotel, happy that we had a chance to appreciate local culture and discover some REALLY good wines. Barbara and Federico were extremely gracious and knowledgable; we couldn’t have had a better tour.”