In the 20th century, Campania was firmly on tourists’ maps but, paradoxically, of little interest to the world’s oenophiles. Thankfully, this gross oversight has been corrected: the region has become an achingly trendy part of the Italian wine scene, appealing to sommeliers and consumers alike. Unlike Tuscany and its neighbor Umbria, Campania is almost totally committed to cultivating indigenous varieties: Aglianico, Greco, Fiano, and Falanghina. Today, superb – and age-worthy – wines are being made here, with grape varieties dating back to ancient Greece used to create sumptuous blockbuster reds and fragrant, delicate whites. The home of Mt Vesuvius, the Amalfi Coast, and wood-fired pizza does not solely cater to visitors searching for culture, fine food, and hedonism. It is a working vineyard – a dynamic source of wines that delight and inspire. Elegant, anarchic, complex, and contradictory, Campania is Italy in a microcosm.
The volcanic landscapes of southern Italy have been producing exceptional wine for over three millennia; the Roman historian Pliny the Elder extolled the virtues of Campanian wine in his legendary encyclopedia. Yet viticulture has been part of life here since the days of the ancient Greeks and Phoenicians, dating back to at least the 8th century BC. It is widely believed that the Greeks introduced vines to southern Italy as they established colonies along the western Mediterranean. One of the most important of these settlements was Neapolis, a precursor to the modern-day city of Naples.
However, after the Romans took control of the peninsula in the 3rd century BC, Campania became a center of unabashed hedonism, renowned for its spa, Roman baths, amphitheaters, and winegrowing! Indeed, the fertile soils of Campania were ideally suited to wine production – grapes were fermented in clay amphorae and adulterated with seawater, herbs, and sugar. These unpalatable (by today’s standards) concoctions were then slowly heated over flames until they resembled a Roman version of Madeira. Both Virgil and Pliny were reportedly big fans!
However, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476, Campania became a hotly contested piece of real estate. Several Germanic civilizations attempted to conquer the Italian Peninsula in the Dark Ages, including the Eastern Roman Empire’s Byzantine armies–this polity endured until the 1200s. Yet they were subsequently defeated by the Lombards in 564 and the forces of Charles the Great in 773. After being crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800, the re-titled Charlemagne ruled large parts of Italy, France, and Germany until he died in 814. Meanwhile, Naples would fall into Norman’s hands in the 1100s, before the French Angevins conquered the city and its environs in the 13th century; power also briefly passed into the hands of Alfonso V of Aragon. Yet the Catholic Church largely controlled winegrowing during this period – Benedictine and Cistercian monks were true disciples of Bacchus in the Middle Ages.
By the 1500s, Naples had been conquered by the Spanish Empire. Nevertheless, Campania benefited enormously from Spain’s colonial endeavors, growing into Europe’s largest city and a major trading port. Artists like Luca Giordano and Caravaggio constructed many masterpieces in the late Middle Ages, turning Naples into a leading center of Baroque art. Peace and stability reigned until southern Italy was ceded to Austria – the Bourbons controlled the region from 1734 to 1860. That year, Naples became part of the new kingdom of Italy.
This rich and turbulent history has imbued Campania with an incredible store of ancient ruins, churches, palaces, and other architectural wonders. Yet the region’s wine industry languished in the doldrums until pioneers like Antonio Mastroberardino and Feudi di San Gregorio turned everything around. Today, Campania is a hotbed of innovation and experimentation, with indigenous grapes taking precedence over imported varieties. You’ll understand why when you taste Aglianico from Taurasi – or Fiano di Avellino.
Geography and terroir
Colorful Vineyards near Taurasi
The original playground of the Romans competes with Sicily for the title of Italy’s most exciting 21st-century vineyard. All the cards are in order: excellent native grapes, volcanic soils, and cool terroirs on high slopes add up to unprecedented potential being progressively realized. The region, occupied since the days of ancient Greece, is located in southwestern Italy and bordered by Lazio to the north and Basilicata to the south. Bathed in day after day of Mediterranean sunshine, many of Campania’s leading appellations are situated east of Naples, cooled by breezes that blow in from the Tyrrhenian Sea.
In the balmy heat of a typical Campanian summer (winters are very mild), this is an essential part of the local quality equation; altitude is no less important in preventing acidity levels from becoming too low. But, Campania’s greatest asset is surely its igneous soils – descendants of the molten lava and ash that engulfed Pompeii in AD 79.
The region’s two most important appellations remain Taurasi and Greco di Tufo DOCG. The former is made in a small enclave to the east of Naples, dissected by the River Calore. Much like Barolo, only one grape variety is permitted in the cellar; Aglianico is responsible for one of Italy’s greatest red wines, aged for at least three years to create potent, spicy, and rich expressions of Taurasi’s volcanic soils. Yet there is much stylistic variance within the appellation, mainly due to differing elevations: vines planted in the northern half of the zone (there is more clay here) rise to a moderate 400 meters above sea level.
Thus, they tend to ripen a few weeks before the more southerly vineyards (700m in some places) where igneous soils dominate. Indeed, the most structured and concentrated Aglianco is made here, where berries may not reach phenolic maturity until mid-October. You will not find a more attractive marriage of fruit, acidity, and tannin anywhere else in southern Italy.
To the southwest of Taurasi is the town of Avellino, home to Campania’s most fashionable white. The DOCG zone Fiano di Avellino is a veritable cash cow in these parts, as consumers cannot get enough of such delectable – and good value – dry white wines. Elegant, floral, and infused with the scent of minerals, Fiano is cultivated in 26 very pretty villages that flank the town of Avellino in all directions. Like Taurasi, the terrain is mountainous and rugged, with high elevation sites yielding berries packed full of fruit and crisp acidity; top Fiano di Avellino can improve in bottle for at least a decade. But it has a fierce rival in the equally superb wines of Greco di Tufo, produced in a smaller appellation to the north of Avellino.
Once again, volcanic soils and high-altitude terrain result in aromatic and utterly delicious whites renowned for their citrus, lanolin, and mineral bouquet. The grape is planted elsewhere in Campania, and, indeed, in neighboring Basilicata, few wines ascend the heights of Greco di Tufo – the porous tuff rock probably has a lot to do with it. This unique sedimentary rock, formed over millions of years from solidified volcanic ash, supplies the vine roots with essential moisture in the summer. Many also believe it is responsible for Greco di Tufo’s unmistakable and quintessential flavor of minerals and salt.
Meanwhile, the best Falanghina can be found on the outskirts of Naples in the vineyards of Campi Flegrei DOC. This fragrant white variety is celebrated for its richly textured fruit and crunchy acidity; it is also the dominant grape in Capri and the Costa d’Amalfi, grown on vertiginous slopes in the most charming part of Campania. On the southern flank of Sorrento’s peninsula, the Amalfi Coast yields perfumed and delicious whites of growing renown. The white and red wines of Lacryma Christi, grown on the slopes of Mt Vesuvius, are no less beguiling.
Campania also excels at championing Italy’s most obscure and esoteric grapes – varieties few other regions would bother with. Generally marketed under the auspices of the IGT Terre del Volturno designation, both Pallagrello Bianco and red Casavecchia are worth a closer look. They are ancient beyond belief, a throwback to the days of Socrates and Aristotle!
Thirty-five years ago, visitors flew home with a less than favorable impression of Campania’s archaic wineries. One or two notable exceptions aside, the region was stuck in a time warp; rustic equipment and fermentation vats constructed during the Phoenicians’ days were the dominant forces in local winemaking. So it is little wonder that Campanian whites, particularly, were fetid with the odor of sulfur and bruised apple – a sad reminder of a wasted opportunity. But those dark days are thankfully behind us.
Today, you can expect a lengthy tour of a spanking new cellar – stainless steel tanks, concrete eggs, and rows of pristine French barrique set the tone in 2023. Then, you’ll be whisked straight into the vineyard to see organic projects, biodynamic trials, new irrigation techniques (often a necessity in the arid landscape of southern Italy), and soil tests. Improvements and innovation are all around you, and the flavors of Campania have never tasted so pure and fresh.
But what of the winemaking? Many Campanian white grapes, including Greco and Fiano, are vinified in stainless steel tanks, almost without exception. That’s the approach at Feudi di San Gregorio, where a reductive fermentation at low temperatures yields a very aromatic and fruity style of wine. Lees stirring is a very modish technique here and elsewhere, used to add richness and texture to the wine. The red wines of Campania also benefit from a cooler vinification in stainless steel, albeit the Taurasi DOCG regulations insist upon maturation in wood. Aglianico takes to French oak like a duck to water – it accentuates the grape’s spicy tang. It remains the most impressive entry in the Campanian red portfolio.
Facts & Figures
Key wine styles
Full-bodied red wines, aromatic whites; a small volume of dessert wine
Appellation structure
4 DOCG, 15 DOC and 10 IGP designations
Hectares under vine
46800
Average annual production
22 million hectoliters of wine per annum
Approximate number of wineries
120
The lowdown
When Feudi di San Gregorio was awarded B-Corp status in June 2022, the entire Campanian wine industry stood up and applauded. This certification program started over 15 years ago, is very selective about welcoming new members to its club of eco-friendly businesses. Yet Feudi di San Gregorio had proven, time and time again, its commitment to a more sustainable future – a beacon of hope in a capricious world. At the time, Antonio Capaldo, president of Feudi di San Gregorio, commented: “Achieving B Corp certification is a great encouragement to continue working in different directions while respecting our suppliers and customers, our daily work, and the economic and social objectives of the company.”
Meanwhile, other stakeholders have since followed in San Gregorio’s footsteps, reducing the environmental impact of their wine growing and transitioning to organic or biodynamic viticulture. Sustainability isn’t merely a slogan in the vineyards of southern Italy. It is rapidly becoming the ethos that binds small and large growers together.
All of this explains the air of confidence that permeates in the wineries of Campania today. Some might even say that, on occasion, it veers into smugness. That’s perfectly understandable; the region was formerly written off by collectors and critics alike. But it’s enjoying unprecedented success on several fronts: rising sales, better wines, and greener practices. Granted, global inflationary woes are taking their toll on the industry; however, this doesn’t seem to have deterred winemakers from continuing to expand their horizons and improve their wines, nor did it deter outsiders from investing. And, while a smattering of French grapes can yield impressive results, Campania’s greatest treasures remain its indigenous superstars. The hitherto dark horse of Italian wine has become one of its most lauded and respected producers. Its rich palate of original flavors and unique tastes will enthrall you.
Pallagrello Bianco, a rare grape from Campania, Italy, nearly extinct, was rediscovered in the 1990s. Once prized by King Ferdinand IV for high-quality wines, its small, sweet grapes are used in local desserts. Its wines, rich with peach, apricot, and almond notes, are mainly produced in Campania under the IGT classification.
Casavecchia is a unique red grape from Campania, Italy, rediscovered from a single vine in Pontelatone. It produces earthy, tannic red wines with black fruit and leather aromas. Mainly grown in northern Campania, these wines are classified as Casavecchia di Pontelatone DOC or Terre del Volturno IGT. The vines are low-yielding, potentially linked to the ancient Roman Trebulano variety.
Pallagrello Nero
Pallagrello Nero, a black grape from Campania, Italy, was revived in the 1990s after near extinction. This ancient grape, once prized by King Ferdinand IV, produces full-bodied wines with soft tannins and intense flavors. The grapes yield wines rich in black fruit and chocolate notes. Lacking DOC status, Pallagrello Nero wines are classified under the more flexible IGT category and are also used for making grappa.
Piedirosso
Piedirosso, a black grape from Campania, Italy, is regaining popularity, mainly as a blend with Aglianico and Olivella. Named for its dove's foot-like stem, it produces ruby, full-bodied wines with plum and cherry flavors. Grown in various DOC areas, it's often blended, notably in Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio wines. Piedirosso adds softness to intense wines and is occasionally used in passito, a sweet dried grape wine.
Campanian gastronomy
Campania’s food scene is the stuff of legend. In addition to the dangerously addictive wood-fired pizzas of Naples, you can feast on spaghetti alla vongole, filetto di manzo, and sfogliatella (sweetened ricotta pastry). Across Campania, artisans produce the finest buffalo mozzarella in Europe, often used in the ubiquitous and delicious pizza fritta (fried pizza dough stuff with spicy sausage, lard, provola cheese and tomato). It is perhaps the most gloriously hedonistic of all Italy’s on-the-go snacks. But trust the Campanians to make street food a culinary art form.
A Guide to the Gastronomy and Cuisine of Campania: Read more
Feudi di San Gregorio: Ancient vines, modern wines. Home to Italy's top Taurasi and Fiano, with a state-of-the-art winery amidst volcanic soils. Read more
With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.
If you would like us to customize an exclusive luxury tour, contact us and let us know your travel plans. We offer luxury food and wine tours for private groups of a mininium two guests. In addition, all of our private, chauffeured tours are available year-round upon request.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
