Campania

Campania is a wine world unto itself. Naples already offers a first highlight. There, alongside everything else one might do in Naples, you can also plan a day on the outskirts in the Campi Flegrei and taste your way through wines made from Piedirosso and Falanghina—wines that won’t make returning to the city any easier. And since Mount Vesuvius is a must-see destination for all visitors to Naples anyway, you only need to let your gaze wander a little farther to discover vineyards and wineries on its slopes as well.

It becomes truly exciting, however, when you rent a car and head north, east, or south. Wine is everywhere, but the most famous—and sometimes the best—appellations lie about an hour away around Avellino. Taurasi, Greco di Tufo, and Fiano di Avellino are three DOCGs whose past stretches back to the earliest days of Italian viticulture, yet whose future continues to promise spectacular wines. The reason lies in a long-standing confidence in local grape varieties—ones that were upheld uncompromisingly even during the height of short-sighted internationalization. Recent studies aimed at determining the age of various vines uncovered specimens planted at a time when Charles VI Holy Roman Emperor was still King of Naples.

This commitment to traditional varieties is not limited to the area around Avellino, but applies to all of Campania. Merlot, so prominent in Tuscany, Friuli Venezia Giulia, or Veneto, plays only a minor role here, with just 300 hectares out of a total of 22,200. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc do not even appear among the region’s top 20 varieties. With 34.1% and a total of 7,600 hectares, Aglianico sets the tone—and anyone who has ever engaged with this grape knows what a treasure the people of Campania possess. Ian D'Agata, perhaps the most authoritative voice on Italian grape varieties, believes that Aglianico belongs among the great red grapes of the world and should be mentioned in the same breath as Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. It shares aromatic and stylistic similarities especially with Nebbiolo, though Aglianico may be less complex but more versatile. While simple Nebbiolo often struggles to convince, Aglianico can produce not only dense, monumental wines but also simple table wines that are enjoyable yet still possess depth.

The epicenter of Aglianico is Taurasi—like Vesuvius and the Campi Flegrei, an ancient volcanic landscape, though frequently interrupted by limestone hills and flysch formations that lend geological—and thus vinous—diversity. The topography is mostly gently rolling, though at times steep and rocky. Where nights are sufficiently cool, some of the finest expressions of the grape can be found. Directly bordering Taurasi are the enclaves of Tufo and Avellino, home to Greco and Fiano—two white varieties that have stepped out from the shadow of the great red grape and, for some time now, have also been in the spotlight of Italian and occasionally international wine drinkers.

The same cannot really be said of the rest of Campania’s wines. Wines from the Amalfi Coast are at least known to those who have vacationed there, while Sannio or Aversano remain viticultural terra incognita. Yet there is more than enough to discover. Foremost among these is once again an ensemble of grape varieties, featuring Falanghina (especially in Sannio), the intriguingly named Coda di Volpe (“fox tail”), and Asprinio (not exactly an ideal name)—three additional white trump cards in Campania’s ampelographic deck that are well worth tasting. This trio is complemented by reds such as Piedirosso, Sciascinoso, Tintore, Aglianicone, and Barbera del Sannio, along with many others that unfortunately rarely leave their local worlds.

Another region well worth exploring in many respects is the Cilento. It’s perfect for hiking and snorkeling in the sea, and those willing to settle for smaller yet equally impressive Roman ruins after Pompeii can wander through the ancient temple complexes of Paestum. Culinarily, you find yourself at the epicenter of (truly excellent) mozzarella production. There are also rare bean varieties, a brilliant pasta type called Lagane, salted anchovies, and of course grapes. These are mostly delivered to local cooperatives, but occasionally there are independent winemakers producing truly fantastic wines. Once again, the protagonists are Aglianico and Fiano, which in Cilento tend to be warmer, more Mediterranean, and softer than inland.

If vinous excursions across mainland Campania are not enough, you can also take a ferry from Naples to Ischia or Capri and continue with a sea view. While Capri Bianco is made from Falanghina and Greco Bianco, Ischia even boasts its own grape variety in Biancolella.