A Look into the Basilicata Wine Region

I wrap up this month’s feature on the regions of Molise, Campania and the Basilicata with a look into the Basilicata wine region.  This region is one of the smallest regions in Italy with acres to vines.  It is located in southern Italy situated between the regions of Campania, Puglia and Calabria.  A small amount of the Basilicata lines the coast with the Tyrrhenian Sea to the southwest and the Ionian Seas on the southeast. 

Copyright of Wikivoyage

The Basilicata is a rugged terrain from the Apennines Mountains and hills that occupy about 90% of the territory.  There is a small amount of plains that are located closer to the sea.  The non-active volcano, Monte Vulture, is located in the northwest corner with altitudes about 4,300 feet where many of the Basilicata’s vineyards are located.  With such a mix of geography, the climate is continental with a higher amount of precipitation around the mountains and a mediterranean climate near the sea.

Monte Vulture - Copyright of Michael Nielsen

With the varied geography also comes a variety of soils.  Surrounding Monte Vulture the soils are rich volcanic soils as one would imagine.  The hills are full of clay and closer to the sea the soils are sandy with marine sediments.

The Basilicata is dominated by red wines with about 70-80% of the overall production.  The Aglianico grape is the primary red grape representing more than half of the wines. The only DOCG in the Basilicata is Aglianico del Vulturno Superiore DOCG that was promoted to this level in 2010 from the DOC originally established in 1971.   This is one of the respected wines of Italy and shares similarities with neighboring Campania's Taurasi and Aglianico del Taburno.

You will find Aglianico produced under both the DOC and DOCG designations with varying regulations.  Those of the Aglianico DOC can be released a year after harvest, but from the Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG the yields are stricter, higher alcohol levels are required and aging must be a minimum of 3 years with at least 1 year in wood and 1 in the bottle.  

Sourced from Consorzio di Tutela Aglianico del Vulture

Although white wines take a backseat in this region it’s worth noting that the grape of importance is Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata.  A couple DOC’s where you can locate this grape are the Matera DOC Bianco and Grottino di Grottanova DOC Bianco.

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Why Aren't You Drinking More Aglianico?

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.

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

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Vino Travels Top 5 Italian Wine Blogs of 2018

Another year comes to a wrap.  It has been a great year of wine from around the world with of course our love for Italian wines.  Time to say goodbye to 2018 and welcome 2019 with open arms, open minds and an open glass.  As I continue to take you on our journey around Italy I also plan to show some highlights from other wine regions outside of Italy to broaden our horizons.  I'd appreciate if you could take this quick survey so that I can hear from my readers and find out what you'd like to read more about in 2019.

Here are the top 5 Italian wine blogs of 2018.  I hope they were your favorites too!   

#1 50 Harvests with the Sieni Family of the Montefioralle Winery
#2 Aglianico del Vulture from Cantina Il Passo in the Basilicata 
#3 Verdicchio of the Marche with Tenuta di Tavignano
#4 Vermentino of Toscana with Aia Vecchia
#5 Lake Garda Says Hooray for Rose' with Chiaretto

As you've noticed I've also incorporated some non-Italian wines into the blog this year as I've done in previous years.  I think it's important to understand wines from around the world.  Although, sometimes when I feature non-Italian wines there may be an affiliation with Italy whether they are Italian grapes being grown outside Italy or the producers have an affiliation with Italy.  I hope you've been enjoying them.

#1 Italian Grapes in the Lodi with Harney Lane's Primitivo
#2 A Taste of Orange Wine in Vermont with Iapetus

Thank you all for your support and sharing your passion for Italian wine.  Happy New Year and Buon Anno!  As always I love to hear from my readers so please leave comments or send me an email at any time!  Share with your friends too!


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Aglianico del Vulture from Cantina Il Passo in the Basilicata

Sticking with the theme of aglianico this month I’m sticking with the Basilicata wine region and sharing an aglianico from Cantina Il Passo.  I have been in connection with one of the family members, Maria, to get a background history on the winery. 

Maria's children are the 5^th generation owners of the estate.  Their great great grandfather, Francesco Grimolizzi, in 800 purchased acres of the farm in the town of Rapolla within the province of Potenza.  

The property was divided amongst the children and now the family owns 50 hectares cultivated of cereal (durum wheat, orzo and oats), 3 hectares of olive groves and in 2012 they purchased a vineyard containing 30 year old vines of Aglianico del Vulture.  Since then they have all purchased another vineyard in Barile totaling 5 hectares of vines.  With this purchase they decided to produce quality wine with the collaboration of wine consultant, Fabio Mecca.  Enologist, Fabio Mecca, born in Barile, consults for wineries in central and southern Italy.  According to WineNews, in 2011 he was awarded one of the 4 Best Emerging Oenologists.

Fabio Mecca

The winery is named Il Passo because it’s the name of the first terrain that one encounters on the property as you approach the winery, which is an olive grove that extends towards the hill.  The wine is named after the land in which the winery resides, Contrada Alberi in Piano.  Their vineyards are planted with exclusively aglianico that is set at the foot of Mt Vulture in the Basilicata region.  Their wine cellar also exists in carved out tufa caves underground.  

In 2013 Cantina Il Passo Alberi in Piano Aglianico del Vulture won the platinum medal by Decantur being named “Best Southern Italian Red” with a rating of 95 points.   

2013 Cantina Il Passo Alberi in Piano Aglianico del Vulture

The tree on the bottle represents the Grimolizzi roots of the family.  This wine is aged 3 months in steel and then 18 months in new French tonneaux before it is bottled.  For this price point you’re getting much more than you pay for.  A full bodied wine that is rich in dark, brooding berries and well balanced between acidity, flavor and tannins with the tannins showing on the silkier side.  A lasting finish to enjoy once the last sip is gone! SRP $23 ABV 14%

Pairings:  I personally paired this with a classic homemade lasagna and meatballs, but there are many choices you could go with.  Cantina il Passo recommends leg of lamb on a bed of peppers and dried tomatoes.

Have you been to this region yet or are you an aglianico lover yet?  What are you waiting for!?

Most pictures copyright of Cantina Il Passo and wine was shared as a sample, but opinions are my own.

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The Sacred Vines of the Basilicata with D'Angelo Aglianico

The Basilicata in my opinion is one of the lesser known and traveled to destinations for many and this week our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group is going to expose one of it’s greatest achievements in winemaking for the region, the grape aglianico. 

The region of Basilicata is located in southern Italy surrounded by the regions of Puglia to the east, Campania to the north and Calabria to the south.  It touches both the Gulf of Taranto as part of the Ionian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea.  It’s one of the mountainous, if not the most mountainous region in southern Italy with Monte Vulture being a geological highlight of the area’s terrain.  This volcanic area is actually where many of the great aglianico wines originate from known as Aglianico del Vulture.

Aglianico is a grape I discovered some years back and although I don’t have a chance to sample it too often is one that has grown to become one of my favorites.  It was brought to the region of the Basilicata back around the 6^th and 7^th century by the Greeks.  The name is believed to derive from the word Hellenic or Ellenico.  You’ll also find this grape produced in the region of Campania.  Many call this grape and the wines it produces the “Barolo of the South”, but I say appreciate it for what it is without comparison to others and enjoy!  These wines tend to have high acidity with firm to gripping tannins with plenty of depth, complexity, dark fruits and aging potential.  

The D’Angelo winery is located on about 86 self owned acres where they produce about 300,000 bottles annually.  The D’Angelo SacraVite wine is labeled as a Basilicata IGT making it more affordable around the $14-15 price point, but without skimping on quality.   Sacra Vite stands for sacred vine and is what the D'Angelo winery prides itself on, which is working with the aglianico grape for over a century.  

The 2013 D'Angelo SacreVite aglianico is aged for a few months in Slavonian oak barrels and is produced in a softer, more approachable way to try aglianico.  It’s made of 100% of the aglianico grape.  On the nose I picked up plenty of dark berries.  Full bodied that is rustic with plums and juicy dark berries combined with some fresh acidity and a lingering finish.  Since this is a young aglianico, and with all aglianico wines, you'll want to decant them.  

Join the Italian Food, Wine & Travel Group as we dive deep into wines made from the Aglianico grape. This Saturday March 3, our posts will all be live and we’ll be chatting about our discoveries. Join us on Twitter Saturday March 3 at 11am EST at #ItalianFWT.

Take a look at all the great ideas our group will be posting:

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm posts Curling up with a Good Book, a Comforting Bowl of Pasta and a Wonderful Glass of Aglianico
• Jane from Always Ravenous pairs Braised Lamb Paired with Aglianico
• Lynn from Savor the Harvest shares Aglianico: A Southern Italian Gem
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla writes Memories and Flavors of Campania + Feudi di San Gregorio Aglianico Rubrato 2014
• Lauren from The Swirling Dervish compares Aglianico from the Old World and New: Campania vs. Paso Robles
• Nicole from Somms Table shares Cooking to the Wine: Vigneti del Vulture Aglianico del Vulture with Braised Oxtails
• Jill from L’Occasion shares Aglianico Connections in the Napa Valley
• Susannah from Avvinare talks about Aglianico from Irpinia
• Jeff, our host, posts at Food Wine Click! - Aglianico Battle between Campania and Basilicata

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Comparing Aglianico and Nebbiolo

Earlier this month our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group (#ItalianFWT) featured the region of the Basilicata. In writing about the most popular grape of the region, aglianico, it brought about the question on how does aglianico of the south compare to nebbiolo of the north.

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is a grape most known for producing some of the top wines of Italy, barolo and barbaresco. Nebbiolo is found primarily in the region Piedmont, but is also found in Lombardy in the Valtellina winegrowing area, as well as the Valle d'Aosta. You can read more about nebbiolo and some of the differences between barolo and barbaresco to get a better understanding regarding these two wines and some more traits of the grape itself.

Nebbiolo growing in Barbaresco

Aglianico

Aglianico is a grape that is primarily found in the regions of Campania, mostly around Mount Vesuvius and in the Basilicata region, mostly found in the Monte Vulture area. As you'll see it shines when grown in volcanic soil and is what makes the wine special. You'll find further detail about the aglianico grape on my recent article.

Mt. Vesuvius over Pompeii

Aglianico has been called the “barolo of the south” and yes, it does have some similarities to nebbiolo in the north, but aglianico is a grape that has enough differences to be recognized on its own as it should be.

Similarities of Aglianico and Nebbiolo

There are many similarities between these two grapes from two different spectrums of Italy. To start off they are both late ripening grapes that produce wines with high tannins and acid. Obviously each cru site, or single vineyard site, where these wines are grown have their own characteristics, but they're typically dense, complex, rich and concentrated wines. These are the types of wine that can be aged for 10-30 years or more depending on the producer. They usually will benefit from some decanting and need time in the bottle to be more approachable and to mature.

Differences of Aglianico and Nebbiolo

I believe that aglianico is a grape that is more approachable in its youth. You can find some wines from La Morra for example that are more approachable in their youth, but we're talking the overall general picture. These grapes also have different aging requirements when comparing the DOCG's of Basilicata and Barolo and Barbaresco. The Aglianico del Vulture Superiore of Basilicata requires 2 years of aging for the regular red and 4 years for the riserva. In comparison, Barbaresco is more closely related with it's aging period of 26 months for it's red and 50 for it's riserva. Barolo is higher requiring 38 months for it's red and 62 months for it's riserva. Lastly, you can find more affordable aglianico wines than you will find in Barolo and Barbaresco, but there are plenty of other nebbiolo wines from the other regions I mentioned as well as others grown within Piedmont outside of Barolo and Barbaresco.

What are your thoughts on these two grapes and do you have a preference? I'd love to hear from you.

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Aglianico, What Makes the Basilicata Pop!

Welcome to 2016 and our Italian Food, Wine and Travel group where every month we cover a different region in Italy. We're almost ¾ of the way through Italy before we go full circle. The beginning of 2016 we tackle some of the lesser discovered regions of Italy and they're all to the south starting with Basilicata.

Copyright of Federdoc

I've always appreciated all wines and of course I have some favorite Italian grapes, but the grape I'm sharing with you today, Aglianico, is one I have grown to love the more I try it. Earlier this week I shared a preview on the food, wines and travel to the Basilicata, but today I want to focus more on what Aglianico is and the wines it produces in the Basilicata.

All About Aglianico

Two of the main regions that use the Aglianico grape in their wine production are the Basilicata and also Campania. In Campania the wines to seek out are Taurasi and Aglianico del Taburno. In the Basilicata the 1 DOCG of the region is the Aglianico del Vulture Superiore. The Aglianico grape was believed to be brought to Basilicata by the Greeks. The Aglianico grown on the slopes of Monte Vulture in the volcanic soils that produce wines deep in color resulting in wines that are rich and robust. The temperatures of this area are rather cool so the grapes have a long growing season into the end of October that help the grapes to developer complexities and balance.

Grifalco della Lucania

Today I'm sharing the 2010 Grifalco della Lucania Aglianico del Vulture DOC. Deep ruby in color and lighter around the rim. This Aglianico is intense on the nose with a lot of tobacco, plum notes, cedar, a little smokiness and earthy as well as some cinnamon. Lots going on in this wine. Dry on the palette, full-bodied with bright acidity and a persistent intense finish. Retail: $16

The difference between the Aglianico del Vulture DOC and Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG 

The biggest difference between the Aglianico DOC and DOCG wines of this region are mainly the aging process and lesser strict regulations including the DOCG wines only being able to be grown in Potenza where the DOC wines grown in either Potenza or Matera. This DOC wine only has to age 1 year in comparison to the DOCG again 2 years and 4 years for a riserva, but they are both are made of 100% Aglianico.

Follow my fellow blogger friends on their feature of the Basilicata and don't forget to join our live chat on Twitter Saturday January 2nd at 11am EST at #ItalianFWT. 

• Culinary Adventures with Camilla – Calzone di Verdure and Grano Dolce
• Food Wine Click – Basilicata Aglianico Eruption 
• Cooking Chat – Pasta with Pecorino and Bacon Plus Wine Pairing 
• The Wining Hour – Basilicata Aglianico and Veal Osso Bucco
• Rockin Red Blog – In Step in Italy: Exploring Basilicata Wine

February 6th we stay in southern Italy with Calabria.  See you then!

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#ItalianFWT takes you to the Basilicata

As we're coming into the end of 2015 and hopefully a great year for many we will be starting off 2016 with our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group (#ItalianFWT) featuring some of the lesser explored regions of Italy starting with Basilicata.

Where is the Basilicata region you say? It's bordered by Campania to the north, Puglia to the east and Calabria to the south. It also touches the coastlines of the Ionian Sea, Adriatic Sea and a touch of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It's 2 provinces include Matera (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Potenza. It is one of the more mountainous regions of Italy and the south and equally as hilly. Basilicata is a rather chilly region with the winds of the various seas helping to mitigate the climate.

Matera by Martin de Lusenet

The food of Basilicata

Although most of the south is more seafood and fish based, this here is a mountainous region so it focuses more on heartier fare including meats like lamb and pork. The citizens of Basilicata also like their food with a little pep so peperoncini here are popular in many dishes along with dried sausages. You'll also find your typically staples of pasta, bread and cheese since the foods of this region are more of a poor man's cuisine.

Peperoncini by Francesco Cirigliano

The wine of Basilicata

There are a few volcanos in the Basilicata, but the one to make note of is Volcano Monte Vulture. This volcano is one of the major influences on the wine produced in the Basilicata in the northern part. The wines produced in this area are the Aglianico del Vulture, which is also known as the Barolo of the south produced from the aglianico grape originally brought over by Greeks. This area also produces the only DOCG of the region, Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG.

Monte Vulture by Michael Nielsen

Basilicata actually has no native grapes like many of the other regions of Italy. Although aglianico is the best known grape of the region, you can find other grapes grown here including primitivo, cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese, merlot, greco bianco and malvasia.

Our ItalianFWT group has so much to share with you this Saturday, January 2^nd and you can join our online chat Saturday on Twitter at #ItalianFWT 11am EST to discuss all aspects of the Basilicata. We'd love to hear from you if you have been here and can lend your knowledge so please don't be shy.

Here is a preview of my fellow bloggers for what is to come:

Vino Travels -Aglianico, What Makes Basilicata Pop!

Culinary Adventures with Camilla - Calzone di Verdure and Grano Dolce 

Food Wine Click – Basilicata Aglianico Eruption
Cooking Chat - Pasta with Bacon and Spinach
The Wining Hour - Basilicata Aglianico and Veal Osso Bucco

Rockin Red Blog - In Step in Italy: Exploring Basilicata Wine
Girls Gotta Drink - Basilicata Traditions: A Cooking Class in Matera

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