For long periods the economy of the island was based on the viticulture that influenced the life and the uses of the inhabitants. The cultivations on the isle are extended from the coasts to the steep mountain slopes where the vine is cultivated on proper terraced fields.

Since 1500 white wine was exported by sea-way above dry land to the principal Italian and foreign markets until Dalmazia. From 1955 on the radical change of the economy of the island has weakened and almost cancelled this cultural tradition. From 1929 to 1990 the wine production has fallen from 250.000 to 62.000 hectolitres per year, so the fields under vine cultivation from 2747 hectares became 900 hectares in 1990. Today there is a renewal of this activity because of the prestige and the high quality of the Ischiaís wine on the market.

Here a list of the most famous and diffused kind of grapes, all cultivated in the island from about 300 years :

White Grapes Biancolella, Forastera, Arilla,S.Lunardo
Red Grapes Guarnaccia, Pedirosso o Pere e Palummo

The Biancollella, Forastera, Piedirosso and Guarnaccia grow from 200 to 600 metres abovsea-level; the Arilla and S.Lunardo under 200 metres.

The vines are arranged at a changable height till about two metres in the vineyards of the North-East side of th isle. The prune vine is carried out by hand in the period from January to March. The grape-harvesting is also by hand and is realized from August to November and the production per hectare is from 70 to 90 quintals about per year

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