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The sunbaked extension of the Italian peninsula known as Southern Italy is a lesson in extremes.
Jewel-like coastlines give way to towering precipices of volcanic rock. Food preparations simple
but the wines stand with the world’s finest for their poise, longevity, and complexity.
The mountainous vineyards of Campania, far from the villas of Capri and the markets of Naples,
yield wines from ancient varieties like Aglianico, Falanghina, and Greco thanks to the work of the
Mastroberardino family. In neighboring Basilicata Aglianico vines capable of an entirely different
style of wine fight for sunshine on the slopes of Mt. Vulture. Puglia boasts a trove of gnarled, bush-
trained vines that yield dense red wines from native grapes, the most famous of which are Primitivo
and Negroamaro. Calabria claims international fame for its bright red chili peppers and rustic cuisine.
Here local winemakers like the Librandi family work to revive ancient varieties such as the spicy
red Gaglioppo grape. And across the Tyrrhenian Sea, the islands of Sicily and Sardinia are home
to grapes and wines found nowhere else on Earth. Sardinia claims the anti-oxidant rich Cannonau
grape, made famous in part by the pioneering work of the Argiolas family. Sicily’s native vines are
almost countless yet Nero d’Avola has surfaced as the representative varietal of the island, one of
the finest expressions of which is the Tasca d’Almerita family’s Rosso del Conte. All of these wines
and more reside in Leonardo LoCascio Selections and paint the picture of region that is like no other.
Wines of Southern Italy