The Wine: Lacryma Christi

This wine’s interesting name means “Tears of Christ” and comes from an ancient tale. There are many variations on the story, but in the Italian version of this myth, Lucifer was cast out of heaven. As he fell towards earth, he grabbed a chunk of heaven. When he reached ground, he dropped it on the foot of the Vesuvius mountain. When Jesus saw this, he wept. Those tears ran down the mountains and were made visible to humans in the streaks of lava flows down the sides of Vesuvius. When Christ’s tears finally reached the ground, vineyards grew at those spots.

The Region: Campania

The Campania region, and more specifically the area of Naples, is not only known for its unique Lacryma Christi wine, but also its cuisine. It is thought to be the birthplace of pizza. Campania also boasts a unique coffee, which  is stronger than other Italian espressos.

Naples’ Limoncino, a lemon-based liquor, has also become quite famous. Traditionally, wines in Campania were produced for immediate consumption and not subjected to the lengthy aging process typical in other regions.  However, in the last few decades, the winemakers have been working to reverse this perception. They have especially concentrated on the best-known wine, the Lacryma Christi, which is being regarded as a player in the
wine market.

Description/Notable Flavors: The Lacryma Christi is anchored with a note of plums and prunes, giving it a full and ripe flavor, that isn’t overly fruity.

Pairs well with: Lacryma Christi pairs well with pizza, as both are Neapolitan traditions.

“If God forbade drinking, would He have made wine so good?” -Cardinal Richeleu