Campania

The Ancient Romans named this area of Italy Campania felix, and they were particularly fond of the wines it produced. The region boasts an ancient tradition and a rich heritage of native grape varieties. This biodiversity is the real wealth of the region and, with a few exceptions, Campania’s great wines are almost totally produced from local grape varieties. Aglianico is unquestionably the most important and most widespread black grape. Other recurring black grape varieties in red wines are Piedirosso, Casavecchia, Pallagrello Nero, Sciascinoso and Tintore. As regards white grapes, the most widely cultivated is the ancient variety Falanghina, which gives fresh, fragrant, medium-structured wines. Varieties like Greco and Fiano give more structured wines which have resounding success on restaurant menus throughout Italy. 

Irpinia (province of Avellino) is a wine area par excellence. Three of Campania’s four DOCGs have their origins here. Taurasi DOCG is one of the greatest expressions of Aglianico, a long-aged wine also dubbed the “Barolo del Sud” (Barolo of the South) because it is powerful, complex and long-living. Among the whites, Greco di Tufo DOCG wines are fresh and savoury with good body and a citrus fragrance, while Fiano di Avellino DOCG wines are balanced and structured, with a tendency to evolve and a characteristic fragrance of hazelnut. Aglianico del Taburno DOCG is another important wine produced with Aglianico, structured and designed for ageing. Falerno del Massico DOC and Galluccio DOC, both white and red, come from the coastal plain in the province of Caserta. Further lies the area of production of the famous Asprinio di Aversa DOC, a white wine with a light structure and high acidity, characteristics that make it an ideal accompaniment for Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP. The wines of the province of Naples originate from volcanic soils. This is the land of wines like Campi Flegrei DOC, Vesuvio DOC and Ischia DOC. Penisola Sorrentina DOC wines are both white and red: the former are delicate, while the latter are lively and sometimes sparkling. Capri DOC wines are simple and fruity. The Costa d’Amalfi DOC area has 3 subzones: Furore, Ravello and Tramonti. These are recurring names on the labels of popular, award-winning wines. Cilento DOC wines, both white and red, are the southernmost wines of Campania, made from both native and international grape varieties.