Terre Del Principe
Representing the dream of wine-making couple, Peppe Mancini and Manuela Piancastelli
la rosa selections
Currently Offering:
Le Serole | Vini Bianco from 100% Pallagrello Bianco, 3 mos in oak, 6 months sur lee
Ambruco | Vini Rosso from 100% Pallagrello Nero, 1 year in new and old oak (70/30)
Centomoggio | Vini Rosso from 100% Cassavecchia, 1 year in new and old oak (70/30)
Piancastelli | Vini Rosso blend from Pallagrello Nero (70%) and Cassavecchia (30%), 1 year oak
about terre del principe
— History —
The love of vine. The dream shared with Manuela. The memory of the grandfather who carried him, as a child, around his estate on his cart. The memory of the peasants who spoke about Pallagrello and Casavecchia. These are the reasons that made Peppe Mancini abandon his profession as a lawyer in order to become a vine grower. The same love and passion pushed Manuela Piancastelli, journalist and writer, to leave Il Mattino newspaper in order to write an important page of the viticulture of the region of Campania. Pallagrello and Casavecchia owe everything to Peppe Mancini. If these grapes are currently being cultivated again, it is down to the tenacity and conviction of Peppe. It was he who believed in the potential of these native grape varieties and of this territory, so very appreciated by the House of Bourbon. A long study together with the University of Naples and the Region of Campania has finally resulted in the entry of Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia in the national Catalogue of winemaking grapes.
Pushed by a grand passion, Peppe and Manuela, joined in time by Masina Mancini, have brought their dreams to life: Terre del Principe (The Prince’s Land), intended as a dedication from Manuela to Peppe, her prince. The company has 11 hectares of property. The friendship and advice of Luigi Veronelli, the passion of the oenologist Luigi Moio, and the counsel of agronomist Gaetano Pascale complete the picture.
— location —
Terre del Principe was founded in Campania, between the sweet hills of Squille, a small village in the municipality of Castel Campagnano, in the province of Caserta. The territory is fringed by the mountain ranges of Taburno and Matese, enriching the soil, all the more making this an area ideally suited to olive and vine-cultivation. Only "two gunshots" separated Squille from Caiazzo, an important historical centre in the province of Caserta, dominated by the imposing castle of Alfonso di Aragon, which he gave as a gift to Lucrezia d'Alagno.
Nearby is the Benedectine basilica of Sant'Angelo in Formis, one of the most important in Italy. A little less then 20 kilometres separate the winery from Caserta, where Vanvitelli's famous Royal Palace looms. Terre del Principe is half an hour from Naples, an hour from the departure ports for the islands of Ischia and Capri, and likewise from the Amalfi coast and Sorrento Peninsular.
— the cellar —
The company is layed down on hills scattered by Valle del Volturno vineyards. Terre del Principe wine cellar is a precious jewel case where Peppe’s and Manuela’s life is managed according to the periods of the wines that “breath or rest” in the wine cellar. As a child who is growing up, the wines are followed step by step from the hand harvest grape through the grape crushing until the bottling. At the same time, all the efforts are in the cure of the vineyard where the grapes that will be the next season’s wines are growing and developing.
To mark the precious wine cellar time there is our closest friend: the professor Luigi Moio. His wine and scientific experience, his passion, his deep knowledge of Campania cultivar, in particular of Pallagrello and Casavecchia, make him a key link in this adventure. As we usually say, Pallagrello and Casavecchia are for us like “Pinocchio”( the puppet main character in Collodi’s most famous novel) whom Peppe gives the heart, Manuela the speech and Luigi the cleverness.
In the heart of Castel Campagnano is Terre del Principe’s historical wine cellar.It is like a cathedral 10 meters deep in the heart of the earth.This 100 square meter antique cave takes us back in time.A cave entirely dug out by hand out of tufo stone, with thousands of chisel marks.It dates back to the 10th century which is the period in which Castel Campagnano was founded. The cellar opens up into a large area dating back to the 15th century, complete with a well, charcoal oven, and at what was at one time a millstone.According to some historians, the cellar could have been part of the Longobardo castle’s external warehouse in which during the 1700s the Ducal Palace was constructed. It has served as Terre del Principe ’s wine cellar. At the first floor there is the modern cellar.
