Best Campania wines from southern Italy: What to look for

From new-wave Aglianico to pale rosé and the re-emergence of indigenous grape varieties, there's a lot happening in Campania, says Aldo Fiordelli. Read his report below, including wines to look for...

Campania wines have a charm that belies the relatively small size of this southern Italian vineyard region.

According to Italy’s national statistics agency, Istat, Campania makes up just 3.3% of Italy’s vineyards, with roughly 29,000ha planted.

Scroll down to see Aldo’s top wines from Campania

Aglianico is the most widely planted grape variety here, known for producing powerful yet charismatic red wines. It is followed by Falanghina, a grape known for yielding delicious and refreshing white wines, as well as the better known Greco and Fiano varieties, whose wines are able to age.

However, the true wonders of Campania are found in a crowd of indigenous grapes from Roman times:

• Pallagrello from Volturno
• Piedirosso and Caprettone around Vesuvio
• Biancolella on the island of Ischia
• Ripoli, Fenile and Ginestra along the Amalfi Coast

Regional variation: From mountains to coast

Campania may lie at the heart of the Mediterranean, but there are few places with as much variety in terms of landscape and climate.

Irpinia

The most misleading region is arguably Irpinia. One expecting the classic components of Mediterranean terroir will instead find a plateau sitting at, on average, 600 metres above sea level, with mountains soaring up to 1,800 metres.

A mix of limestone, clay and volcanic soils expand over two valleys:

• Calore, which is more suitable for red wines
• Sabato, which is better known for white wines

The average temperature in August, the warmest month of the year, is around 22°C. As this figure would suggest for somewhere so far south in Europe, there is tremendous variation in night and day temperatures. This extends the growing season and is essential for taming the austere, phenolic nature of Aglianico, which in good years is harvested at the beginning of November.

Coastal

Towards the coastline, Campanian vineyards also benefit from the cooling influence of the sea, a favourable factor when compared to other regions of the same latitude.

Naples sits at close to 41 degrees north, and this area’s reputation has been rising – as recently proven by the Gambero Rosso publication presenting a Tre Bicchieri [‘three glasses’] award to a wine from Ischia Island in the Gulf of Naples.

Improved winemaking skills

A profound increase in winemaking skill has been one of the most vital changes in Campania over the last decade.

Pioneers include Luigi Moio, professor of oenology at Federico II University of Naples, who works as a consultant for several wineries, teaching and preaching the necessity for clean and precise wines. He is also the producer of an outstanding Taurasi.

Larger-scale winery, Feudi San Gregorio, has made its viticulture more efficient, largely thanks to Pierpaolo Sirch, the well-known pruning consultant turned technical director of the winery.

Trends: from ‘garagiste’ Aglianico to pale rosé

Meanwhile, Marco Tinessa, the ‘garagiste’ of Aglianico and a talented wine producer with a degree from the Bocconi University in Milan, is competing with Giovanni Ascione, of the small Nanni Copè estate, to become the leader of post-modern winemaking in Campania.

Then there are the famed ‘bianchisti’, the white wine producers like Marisa Cuomo with her beloved Amalfi Coast ‘Furore’, and Sabino Loffredo of Pietracupa.

Last but not least we must not forget the emerging rosé trend among Lacryma Christi producers near to Vesuvio. These vibrant, pale pink wines of extraordinary saltiness and minerality have low alcohol and are becoming must-have wines on Amalfi Coast holidays.

Exciting Campania wines to try:

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