The Catalanesca grape was first imported to Campania in 1450 from Catalonia by Alfonso I of Aragon, monarch of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and it was planted on the slopes of Monte Somma, between Somma Vesuviana and Terzigno. The Catalanesca grape had a certain spread until the beginning of the century, but little of it survived the post-phylloxera era, and today it survives only in small plots. It can be found mainly in the municipalities of San Sebastiano, Massa di Somma, Pollena Trocchia, Somma Vesuviana, Sant’Anastasia, and Ottaviano. Catalanesca is characterized by its loose cluster, round berries, and golden, thick, and crunchy skin. At the time it was classified as a table grape, its vinification was not allowed, although local winemakers, knowing its qualities, have always been used to turning it into wine.

The process to elevate Catalanesca to the rank of wine grape began in the 1990s, but only in 2006 was its vinification officially authorized, and since 2011, the wine can be marketed under the denomination Catalanesca del Monte Somma IGT. Catalanesca is a late-ripening grape, harvested between October and November, with an old tradition of leaving the clusters on the vines until the Christmas period, gradually removing the spoiled berries. The soils characterizing the Monte Somma area are of volcanic origin and extremely rich in minerals, a feature that gives the grape a very unique connotation. The dry white variety is a straw-yellow wine with golden reflections, typical of the grape. The intense aromas of apricot and broom are complemented by a marked minerality, both on the nose and palate. Catalanesca wine requires a proper period of bottle aging to express its best qualities.