Discover Campania: 12 wines worth seeking out from this exciting region

Lying between the Tyrrhenian sea to the west, Basilicata to the east, with the regional capital of Naples at its hub, Campania is a colourful patchwork of wine sub-regions and diverse indigenous grape varieties. Principal varieties are the red grape Aglianico and white grapes Greco, Fiano and Falanghina – but that tells only half the story, because of a plethora of native varieties.

Marisa Cuomo’s Costa d’Amalfi Fiorduva boasts a blend of Fenile, Ginestra and Ripoli for instance, and what other Decanter World Wine Awards Platinum award winner can match that?

Scroll down to see notes and scores for Anthony Rose’s 12 wines to try from Campania

The main sub-regions of Campania lie inland from Naples: to the north in Benevento province are DOCG Aglianico del Taburno and DOCs Sannio and Falanghina del Sannio. In Avellino province you can find DOCGs Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Taurasi, as well as DOC Irpinia. Significant coastal sub-regions include Campi Flegrei, the Sorrento peninsula, Costa d’Amalfi and the islands of Ischia and Capri.

The kaleidoscopic diversity of terroirs and grape varieties can be confusing for potential importers but, as local expert and author Paul Balke notes: ‘Campania is a truly exciting region because of the differences in the wines, the many grape varieties and wine styles.’

Worth seeking out

Campanian wine’s rapid progress in drinkability and freshness has begun to permeate the consciousness of Italian specialist importers in the UK. Astrum Wine Cellars, for instance, represents the excellent Pietracupa; Jascots carries Mastroberardino; Lea & Sandeman stocks the classy wines of Luigi Maffini; Hallgarten Wines distributes Feudi di San Gregorio; and Enotria&Coe brings in the wines of Antonio Caggiano and Cenatiempo. Most of these wines go to specialist retailers, restaurants and wine bars, while availability on the high street is more patchy.

At this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, the region’s wines were represented by two Platinum medals, one Gold, 22 Silver and 45 Bronze.

Of the 25 most successful medal winners, only a handful have a stockist in the UK, and this mismatch between the growing quality of Campanian wine and its lack of visibility on the high street is a shame. We can only hope that the UK wine trade will immerse itself in Campania and take on board what great value and choice the more modern styles of wines coming from this wonderfully scenic region have to offer.

Anthony Rose’s 12 wines to try from Campania

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