When you walk among the terraced vineyards overlooking the sea, breathing in the salty air and the warm breeze that carries with it the scent of salt and earth, you get the feeling that Ischia is telling an ancient story.
It is right there, in that dialogue between volcano, wind, and light, in front of the “fungo” (mushroom) of Lacco Ameno, that Cantine Tommasone was born, a reality that intertwines past and future, local culture and international ambition. Vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see, scattered throughout various areas of the island, providing a variety of products.
A story that lives on through time
The Cantine Tommasone winery has its roots back in 1870, and since then it has been passed down from generation to generation, guardians of a tradition that is renewed with grace and energy.
Today it is run by Lucia Monti and Giuseppe Andreoli, an oenologist, who have transformed their passion for the land into a project that strikes the perfect balance between innovation and respect for nature.
The name “Tommasone” is an affectionate tribute to their ancestor Tommaso, but it is also a symbol of their deep roots in this strip of land surrounded by the sea.
The company’s vineyards cover about 12 hectares, distributed between Lacco Ameno, Forio, and Sant’Angelo, in a mosaic of small plots that require heroic viticulture: slopes, volcanic soil, constant wind.
Each grape thus becomes the fruit of a poetic commitment, made of hands that know hard work and eyes that recognize beauty.
Recovering this land, these vineyards, and turning them into history and profession was a task assigned to me by my father, and I am proud of it. This island represents my origins, even though I was not born here, this wonderful land is in my blood…” says Lucia with a smile, while Giuseppe, oenologist and meticulous experimenter, prepares to explain the different bottles on offer. They exude passion, love for their wines, and a great desire to tell their guests about this adventure, to make them feel at home.
And you can feel the full force of this love because: “Tommasone is not just wine: it is the memory of an island that breathes in the glasses, the ancient voice of a land that continues to tell its story, drop by drop.”
- The “Tommasone philosophy” stems from a simple but profound principle: wine must tell the story of the island.The glass must contain the sun, the sea, the land, and the soul of Ischia.For this reason, the winery adopts environmentally friendly cultivation practices: no chemical weed control, minimal treatments, and great attention to sustainability, even in packaging.The goal is to let nature express itself, without forcing it, in a harmonious balance between tradition and innovation.
One of the most fascinating experiences is the underwater wine project, aged at a depth of 40 meters in the seabed of Casamicciola.
There, where the temperature remains constant and light does not reach, the wine matures in a muffled silence, finding unique elegance and complexity.
It is a dialogue between man and the sea, where technology meets poetry.
The wines: indigenous, bold, deeply Ischian
The identity of Cantine Tommasone is based on indigenous grape varieties that speak the language of the island:
Biancolella and Forastera for whites, Per’è Palummo, Piedirosso, and Aglianico for reds.
- Biancolella Tommasone – the essence of the island: mineral, vibrant, with citrus notes and a slightly almond finish.
- Rosamonti – a delicate, marine rosé with aromas of red fruits and summer wind.
- Tenuta Monte Zunta – Per’è Palummo – a mountain cru, grown at 450 meters, a structured and complex red, symbolizing the volcanic power of the island.
- Ischia Bianco Spumante “con i lieviti”: 50% Forastera, 50% Biancolella. Very fine and elegant perlage. Ample, inviting aroma, with particular finesse and complexity. An ancestral, authentic, and unfiltered sparkling wine. It preserves its natural yeasts in the bottle, revealing the truth of fermentation and the vitality of the material. From the depths of Ischia, a living soul reemerges: cloudy, sincere, free. Tommasone ‘con i lieviti’ sparkling wine tells not only the story of a wine, but also the truth of time that breathes underwater—and rises to the surface with all the force of life.
- Wine in amphorae—the oldest of techniques, reinterpreted with contemporary sensibility. The amphora, with its natural porosity, allows the wine to breathe slowly, preserving its aromas and mineral vibrations intact. Here, time does not impose itself, it accompanies.
- Aglianico IGP: A special batch of grapes (100% Aglianico) is reserved for vinification and aging in 400-liter amphorae, then stored in small 1-liter amphorae, with a limited production of only 125 pieces. The result is a pure, essential wine with a salty and deep profile: a return to its origins, but with modern elegance.
- Pignanera IGT – a mature and intense blend, designed for those looking for a meditation wine, in which Ischia becomes a story and silence. And then there are the wines that tell the story of the courage to experiment.
- Ischia Bianco Spumante Under Water: The first classic method sparkling wine in Southern Italy aged underwater. Each label is an encounter between land and sea, between tradition and audacity, between memory and future.
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Tommasone’s new challenge: “Il Sorriso”
From the tenacity of an island and the visionary soul of a winery comes “Il Sorriso,” the new challenge from Tommasone. A wine that brings with it the promise of a different kind of sweetness—more subtle, more authentic—capable of combining elegance and pleasure in a single sip.
“Il Sorriso” is a celebration of a simple and profound emotion: that which accompanies a sincere toast, a light that remains. A wine that does not seek to impress, but to leave a lasting impression, as true things do.
Visiting Cantine Tommasone is not simply tasting wine, but entering the heart of Ischia.
The visit begins among barrels and barriques, where time has a different scent, and continues on the panoramic terrace, where the sea blends with the sky.
Here you can taste wines accompanied by local products, in an authentic and refined atmosphere.
The tastings are divided into different itineraries:
- Classic Local Tasting – 4 glasses (Forastera, Biancolella, Rosamonti, Per’e Palummo) and a platter of local specialties.
- Tommasone Selections – special wines such as Brì 1955 rosé sparkling wine, Pithecusa Bianco and Rosso, Pignanera.
- Gran Cru – wines from single vineyards, fine vintages, limited quantities.
- Underwater Wine Experience – tasting of wine aged in the sea, a unique sensory journey.
Each visit lasts about two hours and welcomes a limited number of guests to ensure intimacy and attention.
Those who enter the winery as guests often leave as friends, impressed not only by the wines but also by the warmth and authenticity of Lucia and Giuseppe, who are able to describe their land with contagious passion.
Ischia in a sip
In the contemporary lifestyle landscape, where authenticity and quality are once again the protagonists, Cantine Tommasone represents a perfect synthesis: tradition, innovation, and beauty coexist in every detail.
Here, wine is not just a drink, but a liquid story of the island, its people, and its spirit.
An invitation for those seeking authentic experiences, for those who want to discover how a territory can be transformed into emotion.
A journey that begins in the vineyard and ends in the heart.
Cantine Tommasone
📍 Via Palummera, 4 – 80075 Lacco Ameno (Ischia, NA)
📞 +39 081 996273
✉️ info@tommasonevini.it
