Happy New Year Italian wine loving friends! I'm thrilled to start the New Year featuring one of my favorite Italian red native grapes, Aglianico. Our host this month for our Italian Food, Wine and Travel group (#ItalianFWT), Camilla, broached the topic and I jumped right on board. I've written a piece in the past comparing Aglianico to Nebbiolo from Northern Italy, but Aglianico deserves attention in its own right.
The Grape ~ Aglianico
Aglianico, pronounced "ah-lee-ah-knee-co", is an Italian native grape found in southern Italy, mostly in the Campania and Basilicata wine regions. It's a dark, almost black colored, grape that buds early, but is harvested late. It is thick skinned resulting in wines that are darkly colored, high in acidity and tannins along with a full body. These wines also have great potential for aging. They are typically complex with great structure showing pure red fruits that are savory and earthy not heavily masked by oak.
The Wine Regions ~ Campania and Basilicata
Aglianico loves sunshine and dry climates and grows particularly well in the volcanic soils of both Campania and Basilicata. Volcanic wines are unique lending minerality to the wines.
Campania is home to a couple DOCG's that feature the Aglianico grape. One of the most known and respected DOCGs throughout Italy for Aglianico is the Taurasi DOCG. Located in the Irpinia appellation, the eastern part of Campania bordering the Puglia and Basilicata regions, this DOCG was the first in southern Italy established in 1993. The Taurasi vineyards are located outside of Avellino in the area of one of Europe's most active volcanoes, Mt. Vesuvius. These wines require a minimum of 85% Aglianico and must be aged at least 3 years with at least 1 year in wood. The Riserva wines require an additional year with 18 months spent in wood.
Also in Campania in the Sannio appellation is the Aglianico del Taburno DOCG established in 2011. Along with Taurasi and Aglianco del Vulture we'll be discussing, this is the 3rd biotype of Aglianico also known as Aglianoc Taburno hailing from the area of Taburno. These wines also require a minimum of 85% Agliancio with 2+ years aging and Riserva wines requiring 3+ years (6 months in bottle) and 13%+ alcohol.
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| Aglianico grapes, copyright of Consorzio di Tutela Aglianico del Vulture |
The Basilicata wine region, just to the east of Campania, hosts both a DOC and DOCG with Aglianico via Aglianico del Vulture DOC and Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG. These vineyard sites are located in the northern part of the Basilicata and are both made from 100% Aglianico. The wines from the DOC cannot be released before September 1st a year after the harvest where the DOCG wines require 3+ years with 1 year spent in wood and 1 year in bottle. The Riserva DOCG wines require 2+ years in wood with 1 year in bottle and cannot be released before November 1st until 5 years after harvest.
The Wines
Unfortuately, I don't have any particular wines to share today as my local wine shop didn't have any and I didn't have any in my stash as well. 2022 I believe is the year I venture out into purchasing wine online since my time is always very limited to try and seek out particular wines that just sometimes aren't in abundance in my area. You can view some of my older posts with an Aglianico from Grifalco in the Basilicata and another Aglianico from the Basilicata from D'Angelo or even this Aglianico from Donnachiara in Campania.
I loves Aglianico due to their quality price ratio. You can get many of these great wines from the high teens to $30-40 in comparison to some of the other noble wines of Italy that carry a much heftier price tag. So what are you waiting for? Don't just take my word for it. Get out there and experience Aglianico for yourself.
Cheers to the New Year and please reach out with what you would like to see more of this year. I love to hear from my readers!
Join us live on Twitter this Saturday at #ItalianFWT @ 11am EST. Join my fellow food and wine lovers as they share their selected Aglianico wines with occasional pairings.
- A Movie Set in Acerenza and Tumacë Me Tulë + Azienda Bisceglia Aglianico del Vulture Gudarra 2015 by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Enjoying Aglianico From the Vine with Pizza Montanara by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- From the Vine: Devouring Pizza, Donnachiara Aglianico Wine, and the Movie by Our Good Life
- How A Glorious Past Can Reinvent The Future in Basilicata by Grapevine Adventures
- Mila Vuolo’s Passion for Aglianico in Colli di Salerno IGT by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
- New Year Nibbles + an Organic PetNat Aglianico by Wineivore
- Organic Aglianico from Ciro Picariello by Avvinare
- Pairing Wine and a Movie: “From The Vine”and 2012 I Favati Cretarossa + Salsicce e Fagioli by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
- Why Aglianico Rules Among Grapes of Southern Italy by My Full Wine Glass
I loved my Aglianico wine. It was my first one and I enjoyed it so much.
ReplyDeleteGreat review of this mighty red from the South. Enjoyed my Taurasi and would love to try the others.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Jennifer. 2021 was my year to venture into buying online. I love Aglianico too and I am happy you mention Aglianico del Taburno which is often overlooked.
ReplyDeleteHope you and the your boys have a wonderful year. Susannah
Sorry you couldn't find any wine but thanks for the great, informative article.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the relative QPR of Aglianico compared to the (especially Barolo/Barbaresco Nebbiolo based wines) other great Italian wines. One of my favorite Rosé last year was made by a local producer here in CA of Aglianico and at $23,I'd definitely buy the wine I had from Irpinia Campi Taurasini again!
ReplyDeleteA great overview of the Aglianico grape in Campania and Basilicata. Cheers!
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