Ep. 2819 Stolen Paradise, Sacred Tears & The Secrets of Ancient Volcanic Vines with Vincenzo Orabona of Villa Dora | Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon

Welcome to Episode 2819 of the Italian Wine Podcast and Episode 266 of Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon. Marc speaks with Vincenzo Orabona of Villa Dora about winemaking on the volcanic slopes of Vesuvius, where old, ungrafted vines and indigenous varieties give the wines their distinctive character.

They explore the legend of Lacrima Christi, the evolution of vineyard practices, and the potential of Caprettone to produce age-worthy wines. Vincenzo also discusses Catalanesca, a grape reflecting Spain’s historical influence on Campania, and shares local food pairings, from spaghetti alle vongole to Neapolitan pizza and ragù napoletano.

More about the guest:

Vincenzo Orabona is the nephew of Vincenzo Ambrosio, who founded Villa Dora in 1997, and now runs the estate. Villa Dora farms organically on the southern slopes of Vesuvius, inside the Vesuvius National Park near Terzigno, on volcanic soils of ash and lapilli. The vineyards are planted with ungrafted vines averaging around 70 years old, including Caprettone, Falanghina, Piedirosso and Aglianico. Vincenzo’s idea to bottle varieties such as Piedirosso and Caprettone on their own helped bring the estate’s wines wider recognition.

Connect:

Website: https://www.cantinevilladora.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cantinevilladora/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vinivilladora/

More about the host:

Marc Millon, a VIA Italian Wine Ambassador since 2021, is an award-winning author of 15 books on wine, food, and travel, and host of the ‘Wine, Food, and Travel with Marc Millon’ weekly series, now well over 220 episodes. His latest book, “Italy in a Wineglass – the Taste of History,” won the Guild of Food Writers’ 2025 Drinks Writer Award and the World Gourmand’s 2025 Best Wine History Book award. Marc also hosts gastronomic cultural tours to Italy with Martin Randall Travel and lives along the River Exe in Devon, England.

Connect:

Website: https://www.quaypress.uk

Website: https://www.marcmillon.co.uk

Website: https://www.vino.co.uk

Website: https://www.quaypress.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-millon-50868624/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Marc_Millon

More interviews on Wine, Food & Travel: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/episodes_category/food-travel/

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Until next time, Cin Cin!

Thanks for listening! This show is all about food and wine pairings, and traveling through Italy with Marc. Join him on this food, wine and cultural journey!