Benito Ferrara Greco di Tufo 2008

The original Ferrara property dates back to 1880 when it comprised 40 hectares (88 acres). However, after more than a century of plot divisions among family members, this venerable estate now comprises a mere 6 hectares or just over 13 acres. Plans are underway to add an additional hectare, but production at Benito Ferrara will always remain tiny and the supply meager of this estate's rare white wines. Unfortunately for many consumers, the demand for Ferrara's handcrafted wines always outstrips their supply, and this is especially true for the two outstanding Greco di Tufos that Ferrara so lovingly crafts.

The vineyards of Benito Ferrara are planted in a unique calcareous soil that is comprised chiefly of mineral rich rock known as tufa—hence the name Greco di Tufo. Here, Greco di Tufo, the ancient white grape that the Greeks brought to Italy's Campania more than two thousand years ago, thrives. And like most of the diminutive, family owned wineries just beyond the Amalfi Coast that fashion authentic Greco di Tufo, Benito Ferrara's vineyards dig deep into the hills of tufa from which the Romans mined sulfur. From hillside vineyards facing southward, kissed by the pure Mediterranean light and soft spray of the sea, Ferrara fashions the finest Greco di Tufo.