I Favati
The I Favati winery represents the culmination of a tradition dating back to the early 1900s, when the family’s ancestors began making wine in the traditional way for their own table and for a few close friends. The passion and artisanal traditions of those ancestors continue to thrive today. The I Favati winery is located today in Cesinale, a town and surrounding hilly area in the heart of Irpinia (east of Naples, in the region of Campania), a land with a profound calling to the creation of quality wines. Irpinia’s unique, indigenous grape varieties make up all of I Favati’s vineyards, which benefit from a perfect exposition to the sun. Each year, the harvest is carefully supervised by brothers Piersabino and Giancarlo Favati, founders of the winery, and by Rosanna.
I Favati’s pressing facility, located in the town of Cesinali, is the crown jewel of the winery. It was built in 1998 and the first wine – Fiano di Avellino – was produced in 2000. The building is equipped with the most advanced winemaking technology, complementing the careful work in the vineyards. The wines currently produced are: Fiano di Avellino D.O.C.G. (Denomination of Origin Controlled and Guaranteed); Greco di Tufo D.O.C.G.; and Aglianico d’Irpinia I.G.T. (Indication of a Typical Geographical zone), with one year of aging in small oak barrels. The grapes used for the last wine are the same as for a fourth wine – Taurasi D.O.C.G. – which was bottled for the first time in 2003 and released in 2007.
The total annual production of between 40,000 and 50,000 bottles is kept small and it reflects the initial mission to achieve the highest quality rather than filling a huge number of bottles.
The members of the team include: Giancarlo Favati – Managing Director, Piersabino Favati – Vineyard Manager, Rosanna Petrozziello, wife of Giancarlo, a professional sommelier and marketing manager for the I Favati brand. Carmine Valentino is the winemaker.