Donnachiara Fiano di Avellino: The Perfect Italian Campanian White Wine

Campania is one of Italy’s rich historic wine regions located in southern Italy and is home to some of Italy’s greatest wines from native grapes including Aglianico, Greco di Tufo and Fiano.  Most tourists will travel to the coastal side of Campania including the Amalfi Coast, Naples and Mt. Vesuvius.  Although if you branch out and head inland you will find the province of Avellino and today’s feature on the Donnachiara winery and the native grape, Fiano.   

Winemaking in Avellino 

Winemaking has existed in Campania since the Greeks planted vineyards there over 2,500 years ago.  Avellino is an inland, mountainous area that is situated about 1 hour east of Napoli that grows ancient grape varieties on volcanic soils, that are rich in minerals which lend structure and depth to the wines. The wine territory spans from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Apennines with the coast featuring Mediterranean climates and the more inland provinces, such as Avellino, having cooler climates with higher elevations. The grapes experience diurnal shifts, which is well suited to the white grapes of this area providing freshness and bright acidity to the wines.   

Copyright of Consorzio Irpinia Vini

Some of the top wineries of Avellino 

There are many great wineries of Avellino to include the historic producer Mastroberardino, who helped revive the native grapes of the area post WWII.  Feudi di San Gregorio, Villa Raiano and Tenuta Cavalier Pepe are additional wineries to consider along with today’s feature, Donnachiara, whom I’ve highlighted several times over the years.  Donnachiara winery is a female led winery since 2005 and is currently owned and managed today by Ilaria Petito. 

The Fiano grape 

Fiano is an ancient grape that is about 2,000 years old that faced extinction during phylloxera.  The grape’s best expression is found specifically in the territory of Avellino where it is labeled as the Fiano di Avellino DOCG if it meets the regulations to be labeled as so.  The wines are made from a minimum of 85% Fiano grapes with up to 15% Greco, Coda di Volpe Bianca and Trebbiano Toscano. 

Fiano grapes - copyright of Consorzio Vini Irpinia 

Fiano is a mid to late ripening grape that is an aromatic, floral grape that shows nice purity of fruit with elegance and structure. It has a medium to full body wine showing tropical fruits, citrus, pear, apple and some possible almond, hazelnut or honeyed notes. 

The Wine 

The 2019 Donnachiara Fiano di Avellino DOCG was straw colored and quite flavorful with lush tropical and tangerine notes on the palate.  This wine is fuller bodied, well-balanced with a richer mouthfeel and slight tanginess.  These wines can be enjoyed within 3-5 years, but as these wines age they take on a nutty character and richer texture. 

You can find many Donnachiara and a variety of Fiano wines on Wine.com to try.  I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels.

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A Glimpse into the Wines of Campania

The wines of Campania are a great choice any time of year and especially during the holidays.  There is a beautiful array of wine selections throughout the region made predominantly of red wines from the Aglianico grape, but also a great white wine selection primarily found from the Fiano, Greco and Falanghina grapes.    

I've been meaning to write about an online seminar I attended that gave an overview of the Campania wine region led by Master of Wine, Justin Martindale, and Andrea Erby.  Let’s take a birds eye view of the Campanian wine region and it’s many native grapes. 

You may have been to Campania without really even knowing it.  If you’ve been to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Naples, Avellino, Caserta or Salerno then check Campania off your list.  The real question is whether you indulged and visited its abundant vineyards.  The Campania wine region hosts a number of wine appellations with 4 DOCGs, 15 DOCs and 10 IGPs across 63,000 acres of vineyards found throughout the region.   

Faraglioni Rocks in Capri

The beginnings of viticulture in Campania 

The viticulture of Campania had many influences in its development starting with the Greek Hellenic culture followed by the Etruscans. Southern Italy was the center of the Magna Grecia, Great Greece, that as instrumental in the development of viticulture.  During the Risorgimento in 1861 there was a mass emigration where many of the vineyards were abandoned.  Today exists a generation of producers that are turning the wine industry around in Campania working with local grape varietals and producing unique wines on this ancient volcanic terroir.  

The Landscape of Campania 

The terrain of Campania is predominantly made up of hills and mountains with only about 15% of the land covered in plains.  As one can imagine there are many high elevations that reach upwards of 2,000+ feet above sea level.   

If you’re familiar with the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD that forever changed the landscape of the terrain, it’s no surprise that the soils are made up of various volcanic matter including ash, rock as well as sand deposits.  Along with Vesuvius, there is also a history of volcanic activity from Campi Flegrei and the island of Ischia. 

Main wine regions and grapes of Campania 

Some of the main wine areas to try are the following: 

• Taurasi DOCG 
• Aglianico del Taburno 
• Fiano di Avellino DOCG 
• Greco di Tufo DOCG 
• Campi Flegrei DOC 
• Vesuvio DOC 

The Irpinia wine subregion hosts 3 of the 4 DOCG of the Campanian wine region: Taurasi DOCG, Fiano di Avellino DOCG, and Greco di Tufo DOCG.  The Taurasi DOCG was the first in southern Italy.  Primarily focused on the Aglianico grape, this appellation owes many thanks to known Antonio Mastroberardino, whom preserved the ancient, ungrafted Aglianico vines to keep native varieties in this area.  You may want to compare the Aglianico of Taurasi against the other Campania DOCG focused on this grape, Aglianico del Taburno.   

Aglianico grapes - sourced from Consorzio Tutela Vini Irpinia

As the names Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo suggest, these appellations are focused on the respective grapes, Fiano and Greco.  Fiano is a grape that is subdued in its youth showing notes of pear and citrus, but with age these wines take on a new profile of honey with a tinge of smokiness.  Greco shows more complex fruit up front and is structured with a grippy mouthfeel.  As Greco wines age they become more nutty and tend to be oxidative.  Both of these whites have great capacity to age.  

Fiano grapes - sourced from Consorzio Tutela Vini Irpinia

The Campi Flegrei DOC is located west of Naples, Italy’s 3rd most populated city.  The name, Campi Flegrei, derives from ancient Greek translating to burning fields.  The wines to try from the Campi Flegrei DOC include the Campanian native white, Falanghina, and the native red, Piedirosso.  Some of the suggested producers from the webinar include Contrada Solandra, La Sibilla, Cantine Astroni and Salvatore Martusciello. 

Greco di Tufo grapes - sourced from Consorzio Tutela Vini Irpinia

The Vesuvio DOC is located in a circle around the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius.  As one would imagine from the explosion at Mt. Vesuvius, the topsoil of this area is covered in volcanic ash and lava. Within the Vesuvio DOC sits the subdesignation of Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio.  You will also see Piedirosso produced here for reds along with Aglianico and Sciascinoso.  For the whites there is Coda di Volpe, Verdeca, Greco and Falanghina to discover.  Some suggested producers are Cantine Villa Dora, Casa Setaro, Cantine Matrone and Bosco de Medici. 

A very old picture of me at the Mastroberardino vineyards inside the ruins of Pompeii

If Campania is a wine region that is newer to you, I strongly suggest exploring these wines and native grapes in the new year.  These wines are some of the best in Italy. 

If you're familiar with the wines of Campania wines, what have been some of your favorites that you’ve discovered?

Campania's wine appellations - Copyright of Federdoc

Check out some of the wines of Campania on Wine.com.  Vino Travels may receive compensation for any purchases made to support the operations of this website.

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Comparison of Aglianico del Taburno vs. Taurasi

It’s almost impossible to talk about the wine region of Campania without discussing the Aglianico grape.  Campania is where Aglianico shines, along with the Basilicata region next door, but depending on the area in which it is produced will determine what you get in the glass.  Two of Campania’s appellations, Taurasi DOCG and Aglianico del Taburno DOCG, showcase the great qualities that this grape possesses so let’s take a look at the two in comparison.

Taurasi DOCG

The Taurasi DOCG appellation is in the province of Avellino in Irpinia about 35 miles east of Naples.  The area in which these vineyards are located are in the mountainous Calore Valley with altitudes of 1,000 to 2,300 feet above sea level.  As you can imagine due to the mountains this area has a cooler climate that moderate the Tyrrhenian Sea influences that create large diurnal swings.  Many of these vines beat phylloxera that ran rapid through most of Europe so you will find some ancient vines in this area.

The Taurasi DOCG was established in 1993.  It was the first DOC in southern Italy in 1970 and this was driven by the known producer, Antonio Mastroberardino.  He saw the potential in Aglianico and other native grapes of Campania after World War II when the government at the time was pushing for grapes that would be more productive.  Due to his efforts and success with producing quality Aglianico in 1968 he released his Aglianico that set the stage for this grapes success.  

Aglianico under the Taurasi DOCG must consist of a minimum of 85% Aglianico, although many producers you will see produce wines made from 100% Aglianico.  The wines must age a minimum of 3 years with one in wood with the riserva wines aging for at least 4 years with 18 months in wood.  The wines of this area are full-bodied, complex, structured wine with a rich, bold profile.  A flavor profile of cherry, black cherry, violet, spice, leather and tobacco to name a few.  They are wines that have high alcohol, acidity and tannin allowing these grapes to be quite age worthy.  To tame these wines to make them more approachable in their youth some producers will have shorter maceration times and the usage of barrels for balance.

Aglianico del Taburno DOCG

The Aglianico del Taburno DOCG on the other hand is located in the Sannio appellation that I spoke about last week within the Benevento province.  This DOCG was established much later in 2011.  This area faces hot days and cool nights tempered by the mountains.  Aglianico del Taburno has similar soils to Taurasi with volcanic matter and calcareous clay, but here there is sandstone while Taurasi has limestone in addition to the previous mentioned.

The Aglianico here is from a biotype known as Aglianico Amaro which carries a high acidity.  These wines will usually have a lighter profile than Taurasi.  They too also must be made from at least 85% Aglianico with most producers using 100% Aglianico as well.  They are aged at least 2 years and riservas are aged at least 3 years with 1 year in wood and 6 months in the bottle. 

The wine

Although I don’t have a wine from the Aglianico del Taburno to share this week, I did enjoy a bottle of Taurasi from Donnachiara.  You can’t go wrong with any wines from this producer as I’ve experienced over the years.  I sampled a 10 year old bottle that proved to me the longevity of this wine with how much life was still in the bottle.  It was a 2013 Donnachiara Taurasi DOCG made from 100% Aglianico. 

This is a grape that grows early and is harvested late as you can see in this bottle with these grapes harvested the first half of November.  The wine was aged 12 months in 225 liters of French barrique with another 12 months in the bottle.  Although the label stated it is “ruby red with purple” colors in the glass mine was more garnet with some slight brick hues on the edge, which could be from it’s age.  A rich nose in the glass of black cherries, blackberries and licorice.  This wine needed  a little time to aerate as it had some gripping tannins up front that smoothed out with a little time.  Dry with a persistent finish.  ABV 13.5%

The pairing

I paired this Donnachiara Taurasi with ribs cooked in my Instant Pot as I've had much success in preparing them this way.  For me these days it's about the ease, time and quality with many balls in the air.  With a touch of homemade BBQ sauce broiled for a few minutes once they came out they held their own paired with this Aglianico.  This grape is one that definitely needs to be paired with rich meats and flavorful dishes.

In conclusion, I connected with a couple producers from these areas and they both agree over the difference in quality between these two appellations.  Gianluigi Addimanda from Cantine Fratelli Addimanda stated that the biotypes are the same, but over the centuries they’ve differentiated expression and production.  Aglianico del Taburno is more productive than those produced in Taurasi.   Taurasi was influenced by the Vesuvius eruption in 79 B.C. that increased the quality of these wines allowing it to become the first DOCG out of those appellations primarily based on AGlianico.  Claudio de Luca of Case d’Alto states that AGlianico is still Aglianico physiologically with the structure of the grapes and moderate vigor.  Overall it’s the soils and technologies that allow for different products. 

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One of Campania's Greatest White Grapes with Aia dei Colombi Falanghina del Sannio

Last week we touched upon the region of Molise showcasing a blend of Montepulciano and Aglianico and this week we venture to the region of Campania highlighting the native white grape, Falanghina.  Campania is a region in southern Italy located on the western coast along the Tyrrhenian Sea.  With Naples as the capital of Campania that most are familiar with, maybe you’ve also been fortunate to travel there to explore the Amalfi Coast and the ancient ruins of Pompeii.  A region with amazing history and amazing wines. 

The winery – Aia dei Colombi 

The Aia dei Colombi winery I’m featuring today is not one very large in size, occupying about 25 acres in the hills east of Naples in the towns of Castelvenere and Guardia Sanframondi.  The winery was established in only 2002 founded by Maria and Marcello Pascale.  Originally much of the fruit had been sold off to other producers, but since their sons, Gaetano and Marcello, have become involved in the business they now produce their own wines from 3 primary varietals including Falanghina, Fiano and Aglianico.   

Sourced from Aia dei Colombi

The grape – Falanghina 

Falanghina is a grape that is believed to have arrived in southern Italy by the Greeks in the 7th century BC.  Campania claims 95% of Italy’s Falanghina plantings and the Sannio DOC that I’m sharing today is where 80-90% of Falanghina is grown.   

A key figure and local producer, Leonardo Mustilli, was instrumental in the Falanghina grape thriving.  He had found an ancient vine of Falanghina and began to work with the grape to be the first to release it as a single varietal in 1979 showing the qualities that this grape possesses to stand on its own. 

There are two different varieties of this grape, Falanghina Flegrea and Falanghina Beneventana.  Falanghina Flegrea is typically lighter and brighter with showing notes of citrus, stone fruits, pears and apples.  Falanghina Beneventana, on the other hand, is more concentrated showing more tropical and floral notes with some herbal nuances.   

Falanghina is a grape that has a yellowish skin that loves the warm, dry Mediterranean climate, especially the volcanic soils of this region as well.  Most of the wines made from Falanghina are made in stainless steel, but you may see the use of oak with some producers.  The flavor profile will vary depending on the use of Falanghina Flegrea or Falanghina Beneventana grapes along with the specific terroirs of where the grapes are grown. 

The Wine 

The 2020 Aia dei Colombi Falanghina del Sannio DOC Guardia Sanframondi I purchased was brightly straw colored with pretty aromas of citrus mostly and green apple. The wine had a tingly acidity that lasted throughout to waken up that palate showing lemon, tart apple and some minerality. A decent finish with some length. Retailing about $15-17 a bottle it was worth the purchase. Although it’s always important to know the top producers making high quality wines to get a good sense of the typicity of these grapes, I always enjoy those I haven’t heard of that may be smaller as those can sometimes be the ones that surprise you. ABV 14% 

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