The Enoteca Osteria Perbacco was formed in 1987 as a cultural association and was the ninth club in Italy to join the emerging Arcigola movement. Behind the birth of Perbacco were two brothers, Vito and Eugenio Puglia, who wanted to create in the Cilento area a haven where the local traditional recipes and products were appreciated and prized in a world where other consumer models were already gaining the upper hand. In order to do so they brought back to life an old family house dating from the late C18th, with outbuildings and an olive press, immersed in olive groves with a splendid view of the Mediterranean.
The two brothers came from different day jobs but they were united by an enormous passion for eno-gastronomy and the desire to create together a simple, friendly place which would become a landmark for the lovers of good food and wine.
Their philosophy for Perbacco was that it should be a place where particular attention was given to the agricultural products from the local territory and the preservation of traditional local techniques. The ethical principles which this approach implied were also the basis of the formation in 1989 of the Slow Food movement, now known world wide, and the manifesto of the movement immediately found a permanent place on the wall of the Enoteca.
This manifesto was written by Folco Portinari and cited two fundamental points both of which derive from the culture of this area. The first, that of Achilles and the Tortoise, was first elaborated by Zeno who, together with Parmenides, formed the philosophical Eleatic School at Velia, just a few minutes down the road and from which the snail symbol of the Slow Food movement derives. The second comes from the dietary rules of the Medical School of Salerno, the oldest in the western world.
After a few years the Arcigola clubs were disbanded and Perbacco became a family owned business, but it still adheres closely to the founding philosophy and is committed to maintaining the territory and the culture of this beautiful corner of the Cilento, overlooking the Mediterranean.
The first years were pioneering with the growth of the Cilento National Park and new demands for tourist hospitality and catering. The enthusiasm of the new Slow Food movement with its carefree spirit and conviviality have with time become a serious and growing commitment to the local territory and the social aspect of food production which have always been characteristics of this place and its founders.
The spirit of place and the sentiments it evokes which are often shared by our visitors, both old and new, are a source of satisfaction and pride and inspire us to approach the future of this territory with is its extraordinary and at times wild beauty with growing commitment, responsibility and attention.
The story continues…
