I Cacciagalli Wine Resort is a place that enchants even when arriving on a rainy day like it happened to us. Embraced by the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina on one side and by the Matese massif on the other, it emerges in a fertile and green area between rows of vines, olive trees, hazelnut and chestnut groves, a seasonal vegetable garden and nature trails between the woods and the Volturno river.
In Teano in the Upper Caserta area
We are in the territory of Teano, where on October 26, 1860 the historic meeting between King Vittorio Emanuele II and Giuseppe Garibaldi took place. The recent discovery of watering holes for horses near the resort suggests that the Hero of Two Worlds could have stopped right here on the farm that represents the core of I Cacciagalli Wine Resort. After all, the San Nicola bridge where they met is just a few steps away.
The farm, owned by Diana Iannaccone, a young agronomist whom we had the pleasure of meeting personally, and her husband Mario Basco, an engineer and great wine enthusiast, takes its name from the territory that hosts it and which was once called Cacciagalli. Here the Iannaccone family acquired a farmhouse dating back to 1700 at the end of the 19th century and it is precisely in this structure, which still preserves some ancient elements such as the gray tuff walls of Teano and the chestnut beams, that the I Cacciagalli resort is developed.
Eight rooms spread over three floors that once housed the granary and agricultural warehouses, while the works that will soon equip I Cacciagalli with solar panels, a swimming pool and a SPA are being completed.
The farm, after having focused on wine production that has rewarded the recovery of historic crops, is therefore preparing to transform itself into a true paradise for lovers of wine, nature and food.
An experience not to be missed is the tasting of wines produced on the 11 hectares of vineyards of the estate dedicated to native Campania vines combined with delicacies prepared by chef Dario Panico.
Before dinner under a fine drizzle Paola, who had already welcomed us at the reception, accompanied us on a visit to the vineyards, the vegetable garden and the area dedicated to the farm animals: chickens, geese, goats and cute donkeys.
Five native vines: Aglianico, Falanghina, Fiano, Pallagrello Nero and Piedirosso, grown and vinified in such a way as to enhance the link between vine and environment according to the principles of biodynamic agriculture.
For the aperitif, the director Giovanni Diodato awaited us at Humus restaurant and offered us black pig salami, hazelnuts, lupins and peschiole, small unripe peaches in sweet and sour sauce similar in appearance to olives but completely different in flavor, paired with Viento ‘e Mare metodo classico brut nature, a blend of Fiano and Falanghina.
We had already gotten to know it in the cellar where it is refined on the lees for 9 months in steel tanks and then subjected to Remuage on wooden pupitres, before disgorging. A niche production with just 3,000 bottles, as told us Antonio, who takes care of the wine production together with Mario.
In the room with the essential but elegant mise en place we also tasted Viento ‘e Terra, a refermented rosé wine obtained from Aglianico, which is also refined on the lees for 9 months with subsequent passage in terracotta amphorae. Precisely those amphorae that neatly fill the basement of the cellar and in which the wines maintain all the aromas, preserving them unchanged – as Antonio assured us during our visit. After this fresh and at the same time full and enveloping wine we were offered the Zagreo, a pure Fiano, vinified and refined in amphora with long macerations, which achieved the Tre Bicchieri 2025 from Gambero Rosso.
Perfect served with the chef’s breadsticks, the delicious Pelatello di Teano ham, good enough to swoon over, the trio dedicated to the “Teano’s chickpea” Slow Food Presidium composed of hummus, panella and falafel, and bread and EVO oil I Cacciagalli, a blend of local native varieties, such as Sessana and Tenacella, and other cultivars such as Itrana, Frantoio and Leccino, grown following the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture. Attentive and thoughtful staff and gastronomic pampering characterized the dinner that after the aperitif made room on the table for the chef’s welcome: a delicate and at the same time succulent veal tongue with green sauce and lemon gel.
Next we chose the cappellacci stuffed with pork, black garlic and broccoli rabe paired with Lucno, obtained from 100% Piedirosso grapes, vinified and aged in amphora. Among the second courses, the cintale, a hybrid between wild boar and Cinta Senese pig, slowly cooked with sweet and sour late radicchio: an intense dish but well balanced by the bitter notes of the vegetable mitigated by the soft sauce. The wine? Sphaeranera, pure Pallagrello Nero, aged in amphora with long macerations, and obtained from the vine once very widespread in the area and recovered by Diana Iannaccone in the family lands.
To close, a semifreddo with peanuts and chocolate and featuring another excellence of the Alto Casertano area, the Melannurca campana IGP.
The after dinner was enlivened by the croaking of the frogs that have made the biolake their home. The swimming biolake is a must at I Cacciagalli and in season you can immerse yourself in a pleasant swim thanks to the phytodepuration system that allows you to avoid the use of chemical products to keep the water fresh and clean.
The clean and harmonious design, the ancient materials, the comfort of the modern, represent the perfect starting points to enjoy the rooms of I Cacciagalli Wine Resort and enjoy a holiday in nature far from the chaos of the city. Our room? Pellerosa, large and pleasantly equipped with aluminum water bottles and glass fruit juices made available to those who stay there. Like all the others, it takes its name from one of the estate’s wines, a fascinating Aglianico rosé vinified and refined in amphora, which we tasted the following evening paired with the cream puff with salmon trout, “Pellecchiella del Vesuvio” apricot Slow Food Presidium and buffalo mozzarella stracciata, served as a welcome from the chef, the indispensable Pelatello di Teano ham and cod in tempura with apricots and marinara sauce.
The inclement weather did not allow us to enjoy the poetic sensorial journey to explore the entire estate, from the paths at the edge of the crops to the woods and the spontaneous uncultivated areas, fundamental in the balance and harmony between man and the environment.
What did we bring with us as a delicious souvenir? From the reception boutique we chose Teano chickpeas, a typical local variety included in the Slow Food Presidia, sold in glass jars like hazelnuts. The hazelnut represents, together with the vineyard, the main production of I Cacciagalli where only typical Campania varieties are grown, such as Tonda di Teano, Mortarella and Camponica, available shelled and toasted: a real healthy treat! In the basket we also included a jar of peschiole, lupins, honey and two bottles of wine that were not easy to choose. In the end our preference went to Zagreo, a truly remarkable orange, and Pallagrello Sphaeranera, the two wines that we considered most representative of the production of I Cacciagalli.
Now all we have to do is plan a return to be pampered once again by the friendly and professional team led by director Diodato and to test the new services that will soon be available to guests.
I Cacciagalli Wine Resort
SP91, Teano (CE)
Info: +39 0823 875216 – + 39 375 6020075
www.icacciagalli.it – reservation@icacciagalli.it
