101 / 137
92
WINES OF SOUTHERN ITALY
Campania
Wine has something of a storied history in Campania. Falernian, a Campanian wine from the slopes
of Monte Massico, was consistently discussed in Roman high society. Historical authors described as
“exceptional” the 121 BCE vintage, which sold for four times the normal price. Apparently the wine had
extreme ageability, because the first review of it came almost a century after that historic vintage.
Food from Campania has more than made a name for itself. Three of Italy’s most famous dishes call
Campania their home. Pizza was developed in Naples and has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become the
world’s most-consumed food. The calzone was also developed in Naples and has become a favorite
of pizzerias. Perhaps less well known but no less delicious is the puttanesca sauce which also hails
from Campania.
The land on which the grapes are grown heavily influences the wines of Campania. Of the region’s four
DOCGs, two are for white wine and two are for red. Taurasi DOCG and Aglianico del Taburno DOCG
are both made from the Aglianico grape, which comes from the distinctly volcanic soil in the southern
part of the region. Coming from similarly volcanic soil types, Fiano di Avellino DOCG and Greco di
Tufo DOCG are Campania’s white wine appellations, producing medium- to full-bodied wines with
good minerality and easy food-pairing ability.