Appreciating The Wines Of Campania


Mention Campania to the typical consumer around the world, and associations of Naples – and its pizzerie – come to mind. Or for some Mt. Vesuvius, Pompeii or the Gulf of Napoli may be their most cherished image of the region. That’s understandable, but Campania wine should also be an integral part of the conversation, as the region is not only one of the oldest wine-producing territories in Italy, it is also today considered one of the very best.

Each of the twenty regions in Italy produces wines, with some such as Tuscany and Piedmont being more famous for their red wines (although there are some notable whites made as well). The opposite is true in Alto Adige and Friuli, where the whites are typically the finest wines, despite some impressive reds. Campania, however is known for the outstanding quality of both white and red wines, making this one of the few regions in Italy where this is true.

There are five provinces in Campania; wine is produced in each. Let’s look at them one by one, and discover their finest viticultural products.

Caserta – Caserta, in northwestern Campania has vineyard planted near the sea, as well as inland. Principal varieties here include whites such Falanghina (one of the few varietals planted in each of the five provinces of the region) and Palagrello Bianco. Styles vary with Falanghina in Caserta, ranging from powerful (as with Falerno del Massimo, produced near the sea) to more delicate and aromatic (most of the inland versions). Falanghina is a high-acid variety, with appealing aromas of lemon zest, pear and apple; most versions are steel-aged and are delightful to consume upon release.

Palagrello Bianco, generally aged in steel, offers more tropical fruit flavors, along with notes of melon and yellow flowers; there are some examples aged in wood that display greater texture and can age for more than a decade.

Principal red varieties in Caserta include Aglianico, the most powerful red variety, with rich tannins that give the wines excellent aging potential, and Palagrello Nero; the wines here are deeply colored and offer flavors of plum and black cherry.

Another important red variety in Caserta is Casavecchia (”old house”) which has black cherry and dark chocolate notes; wines made from Casavecchia are bold and complex, and can age extremely well.

Best Producers: Alois, Villa Diamante, Galardi, I Cacciagalli, Sclavia, Vestini Campagnano

Benevento – Located in northern Campania to the east of Caserta, Benevento is home to arguably the most appealing and varietally pure examples of Falanghina in Campania. Offering lively acidity along with beautiful aromas of pear, honeysuckle, quince and sometimes a hint of saffron, these are irresistible when consumed from two to four years of age, and pair beautifully with a range of foods, from shellfish to pork to pastas with broccoli, a local specialty. Most versions are steel-aged, but some producers also craft wood-aged versions that offer greater intensity.

The principal red in Benevento is Aglianico, of which the most famous version is Aglianico del Taburno, one of only four DOCG wines in Campania. Medium-full to full bodied, these wines have rich tannins, good acidity, impressive complexity and weight, and can be paired with game or most red meats; some of the top examples drink well between 12-15 years of age.

Best Producers: Fontanavecchia, Terre Stregate, Cantina del Taburno, La Guardiense, Mustilli, Fattoria La Rivolta

Napoli – The smallest province of Campania, Napoli is best known for the Campi Flegrei zone, where Falanghina and Piedirosso, a red variety with very good acidity and moderate tannins, dominate the local plantings. The Campi Flegrei whites made from Falanghina have a strong sense of minerality; this to be expected from vineyards so close to the sea; pair these with local shellfish. The reds made from Piedirosso, are among the most charming and complex of all in Italy; as Piedirosso – sometimes referred to as Per e’Palummo (literally “pigeon’s leg”) – delivers aromas of bing cherry, cranberry and red plum; combine that with modest tannins, and you have a singular wine that is delicious upon release, and has the spiciness to be paired with roast chicken or lighter game birds; the volcanic soils here add a distinct savory quality to the reds.

Also look for Piedirosso produced from vineyards in Pompeii, which are spicy and have a bit more tannin.

Best Producers: Agnanum, Cantine Astroni, Bosco de’ Medici, La Sibilla, Salvatore Martusciello, Tommasone Vini

Salerno – The province of Salerno ranges from seaside cliffs – this is where the Amalfi Coast is located, down inland to the Paestum area, home of some of the most beautifully preserved Greek temples from 400-450 years B.C. The varietals planted at Amalfi Coast vineyards (known as Costa d’Amalfi DOC) are not found elsewhere in most instances, due to the fact that strong winds off the sea would damage certain grapes found elsewhere in Campania. Local white varietals include Biancolella, Fenile, Ginestra and Ripoli, while the principal red grapes are Aglianico and Piedirosso (known locally by many as Per e’ Palummo). One of Italy’s five greatest white wines, the Marisa Cuomo Fiorduva, a blend of Fenile, Ginestra and Ripoli, fermented and matured in barriques, is a powerful wine that has outstanding aging potential, as 15 and 20-year old versions are often in excellent shape. The current 2021 release of Fiorduva is amazing, and easily one of the best Italian wines of the year – white or red.

Further south, Luigi Maffini produces two excellent examples of Fiano, among the best examples with this varietal in Campania; the Kratos, with no wood treatment offers bright fruit, excellent persistence and distinct mineralogy, while the Pietraincatenata, fermented and aged in oak, is a robust white with great varietal character and impressive texture.

At Agropoli near the sea, legendary Campania producer Bruno de Conciliis produces several types of wines at Tempa di Zoè, an artisinal estate. His best wines offer outstanding varitetal purity along with excellent harmony; look for his Diciotto (”18”), a 100% Aglianico that receives no oak aging, along with his XA Fiano, as complex, sleek and as delicious an offering of Fiano you will find.

Near Paestum, the forward thinking Giuseppe Pagano has realized tremendous success at San Salvatore 1888, especially with his Pian di Stio, one of the region’s greatest and most consistent examples of Fiano; older releases are ideal between 8-10 years, as the wine has lively acidity and intensity. Aglianico is also a focus here, with versions including Ceraso with no oak; Jungnano, a medium-weight Aglianico with subdued wood notes, and Gillo Dorfles, a robust style of Aglianico aged in barriques that needs a decade or more of aging before it is at its best.

Best Producers: Marisa Cuomo, Giuseppe Apicella, Reale, Luigi Maffini, San Salvatore 1888, Tempa di Zoè

Avellino – In the center of Campania, both in terms of geography as well as wine notoriety is the province of Avellino; this is the home of three of the four DOCG wines in Campania. Regarding the wines from this area, the locale is known as Irpinia, its ancient name (using the name Irpinia also simplifies things, given there is the city of Avellino as well as the wine Fiano di Avellino).

There are two famous whites; Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo, both named for the varietal and the locale (Fiano from Avellino, Greco from the commune of Tufo). Fiano tends to be more forward, as well as a bit more lush on the palate; typical flavors include tropical fruit (papaya, pineapple) and apple. Greco tends to be a bigger wine on the palate (it is often referred to as a white wine masquerading as a red), and tends to need more time to round out; typical aromas her include lemon oil, yellow flowers and often a hint of saffron.

While both Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo display well-defined minerality, I tend to find this more pronounced in Greco di Tufo. Both wines have lively acidity and the argument rages on about which wine ages longer – ten to fifteen years is not uncommon for top examples of each – with many taking the side of Fiano di Avellino, but pointing out that in particularly great vintages, Greco di Tufo often wins the aging battle.

Taurasi is Irpinia’s and Campania’s most famous red, and in reality, one of the most celbrated red wines produced in Italy. Produced entirely or predominantly from the Aglianico grape, Taurasi is one of the longest-lived red wines in the world, given the formidable tannins of Aglianico combined with the good natural acidity of the grape and you have the foundation for superior cellar potential; twelve to fifteen years are routine for a well-made Taurasi, while there are examples that are 30, 40, and 50 years old that are still drinking well, as evidenced by older bottlings of Taurasi from Mastroberardino, the producer that was the most important in Taurasi’s history. Mastroberardino may not have invented the wine, but as far back as the late 1920s, this family took the lead as far as innovation with Taurasi; if you have ever tasted their 1957 or 1968 riserva Taurasi, you know the amazing quality of this wine.

Today, Mastroberardino continues to produce first-rate examples of Taurasi, and have created new versions, including Naturalis Historia and Stilèma, the former with a higher percentage of small oak aging, the latter styled like Taurasi from the 1950s.

Other producers have elevated Taurasi as well over the past two to three decades, and if the wine is still not as well known as it should be, it has clearly gained a great deal more acceptance with critics and sommeliers. Joining Mastroberardino atop the Taurasi quality pyramid are Luigi Tecce, an ultra traditional producer, Antonio Caggiano, Gustaferro, Contrade di Taurasi and Feudi di San Gregorio (their Piano di Monte Vergine has become something of a contemporary classic).

Best Producers – Fiano di Avellino: Ciro Picariello, Villa Diamante, Colli di Lapio, Mastroberardino (Radici), Tenuta Sarno 1860, Donnachiara (Empatia), Laura de Vito, Di Meo, Fonzone, I Favati, Villa Raiano (Ventidue, Alimata), Rocca del Principe, Tenuta Scuotto, Traerte (Aiperti), Pietracupa (formerly Fiano di Avellino, now Campania Fiano).

Greco di Tufo: Benito Ferrara, Feudi di San Gregorio (Cutizzi), Cantine di Marzo, Cantine dell’Angelo, Antonio Caggiano, Petilia, Donnachiara (Aletheia), Traerte (Tornante), Bambinuto, Villa Raiano (Ponte dei Santi), Cantina San Paolo (Claudio Quarta), Terredora di Paolo (Loggia della Serra), Pietracupa (formerly Greco di Tufo, now Campania Greco).

Taurasi: Mastroberardino (Radici, Riserva, Nauralis Historia, Stilèma), Luigi Tecce, Feudi di San Gregorio (Piano di Monte Vergine), Gustaferro, Antonio Caggiano, Salvatore Molettieri, Benito Ferrara, Donnachiara (Riserva), Perillo, Terredora di Paolo, Contrade di Taurasi (Vigne d’Alto, Coste).



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