About the Wine

Just one hour’s drive from the cultural epicenter (and the city where pizza was born) of Naples and the storied ruins of Pompeii, you'll find Nativ.

Nativ Winery, was founded in 2008 in the heart of Irpinia, Paternopoli, by the talented duo of Dr. Mario Ercolino, a world-famous winemaker, and Dr. Roberta Pirone, a food science expert.

For those who don’t know, Dr. Mario Ercolino is a titan in the Italian wine industry. If you've heard of the iconic Feudi di San Gregorio, a cult favorite among Italian wine lovers, it's thanks to Ercolino, who redefined Southern Italian wine and put that winery on the map. He was also at the helm of San Marzano producing some of the highest awarded wines from Puglia. Now, his focus is on his own brand Nativ from Irpinia, a region poised to rival the world's most celebrated winegrowing areas.

Just to put this into perspective, Irpinia is a land of rich, volcanic soils and stunning landscapes, perfect for growing outstanding wines. At Nativ, they focus on iconic varieties like Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, Falanghina, and the powerful Aglianico – a grape known for its bold flavors and incredible aging potential.

Nativ’s wines are made from native grapes (hence the name) that have defined the region for centuries, representing the true essence of “Made in Italy.”

The winery is located on the picturesque volcanic slopes of Taurasi, in Paternopoli, a region with a rich history dating back to the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. According to Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Taurasi wines are “Structured, complex and boasting serious aging potential, Taurasi is southern Italy’s answer to Piedmont’s Barolo and Tuscany’s Brunello di Montalcino.”

Taurasi's wines are special. They come from ancient vines rooted in volcanic soils that originate from ancient eruptions of nearby volcanoes, including Mount Vesuvius. These eruptions deposited layers of ash, pumice, and basalt, creating a mineral-rich and well-drained soil that is perfect for cultivating the Aglianico grape. These unique soils and terroir combine to create some of the most interesting and delicious wines in the world. These are singular wines that reflect the incredible history of winemaking in the region, a tradition that predates the arrival of the Greeks in Italy in the 8th century BCE.

In one of Greg Martellotto’s incredible journeys to Italy, he discovered Nativ Winery. As one of only 415 "Italian Wine Ambassadors" in the world, Greg was so impressed by Nativ's exceptional wines that he decided to import them directly to One Vine Wines. Greg says, "These are not the rustic wines of old that require decades of aging.  One of the most successful qualities of the wines from Nativ is how generous they are. These are not shy wines. They are big, bold, and vibrant with bright fruit, a touch of oak, and immediately accessible." We’re proud to be the direct importers of this stunning gem, bringing you the very best of Irpinia!

Greco di Tufo is one of Southern Italy's oldest grape varieties — supposedly brought by the Greeks themselves, back when Campania was a vital trading hub. It found its perfect home in these volcanic soils, where the mineral backbone and bright acidity become part of the wine's identity.

Nativ farms 30 hectares of native vines on volcanic soils shaped by the Tyrrhenian climate, including centuries-old Greco vines. The grapes are perfectly adapted to the highly mineral clay-limestone soils that give the wine its structure and length.

Tasting Notes

Straw yellow with golden highlights. White flowers, citrus, Renette apples, and broom flowers on the nose.

Peachy white stone fruit juiciness with tropical character, backed by minerality and lively acidity. Dry, crisp, and harmonious with a long finish.

Reviews

~96 Luca Maroni, One of Luca Maroni's "Best Wines of the Year"