Villa Dora

Volcanic terroir is a term used increasingly frequently to describe vineyards located on volcanoes extant millennia ago. But with Villa Dora, the term Volcanic Terroir rings absolutely true. The vineyards of Villa Dora are situated within the Vesuvius National Park on the southern slopes of the active volcano.

Defying the challenges that creating wines on Mount Vesuvius presented, Villa Dora was established by Vincenzo Ambrosio in 1997. His primary goal? To rejuvenate the vineyards already planted in this area and implement organic farming methods. Over two decades later, his nephew Vincenzo Orabona is now joining him in this mission.

One of Villa Dora’s defining traits is the dedication to indigenous grapes. This is partly due to the fact that volcanic soil is resistant to Phylloxera Vastarix, and therefore, these vines have managed to exist ungrafted. Varietals present in their vineyards include Falanghina, Aglianico, Piedirosso, and Caprettone, which are rare Campanian varietals often confused with Coda di Volpe. The winemaking processes are simple, yet deceptively so. Short macerations and ageing in steel tanks mean that these wines are kept as pure as possible to let Mount Vesuvius’s character shine through.