Basilicata

There are only a hundred or so wineries in Basilicata and more than half of them are less than 20 years old. There are great expectations for the growth of the region’s wine sector. Even though Basilicata has coastlines on two seas, half of its territory is mountainous. The hilly part has been planted with vineyards stretching for just over 5000 hectares. The climate is continental with cold winters and major temperature variations during the days of summer.

Basilicata's most famous wine is Aglianico del Vulture DOC. Aglianico is a superb grape variety from southern Italy, rich in polyphenols and aromatic substances, capable of giving structured and long-living wines of great complexity. Mount Vulture is an extinct volcano. The vines of this wonderful wine grow in volcanic soil on the slopes of Mount Vulture, at an altitude of 500-600 m above sea level. Notwithstanding the southern latitude, the climate is cold because the hills are so high. The Superiore version has had DOCG status since 2011. Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG is a wine made from 100% Aglianico grapes, with lower yields than the DOC and a minimum ageing period of 3 years. The wines are robust, rich in fruity, spicy, underbrush and leather aromas, and can evolve for years in the bottle thanks to their excellent tannins.