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Wines from Campania

The Italian region with Unique and Fascinating Wines

Campania, which is located in the southern part of Italy, is a fascinating wine region.

This region, which is strongly placed on the tourist maps, is interestingly not found on the wine lovers’ maps.

But, I would say this is another region in Italy with some superb wines that are made from unique Greek grape varieties.

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Vineyards
Wine grape varieties

With the winemaking history dating back to the twelfth century B.C, this region is famous for its Falerno varietals, which are among the most ancient wines. Not only these, this region has got a lot more for the wine lovers.

Quick Look at the History of Campania’s Viticulture

We can say that the ancient heritage of vineyards together with the great respect for traditions is holding the key to the success of wines in Campania.

The history suggests that the winemakers of Campania were staying true to the rich heritage of indigenous grape varieties instead of seeking out the international varieties.

The wines from Campania were first enjoyed by the ancient Romans. However, it was the Greek people, who introduced the wines in this region.

Unfortunately, all the blessings of Campania’s grape varieties faded with the passage of time.
And, a vast majority of vineyards were uprooted during the civil chaos.

Thus, after the demise of the Roman Empire, the vines completely faded from the region and not until the middle of the twentieth century that the interest in the region’s indigenous grape varieties developed.

It was observed that the classical varieties of Campania resuscitated through an intensified effort and now, there are almost 120 wineries in the region.

Why is Campania Successful in Viticulture?

We could observe that the region’s success in viticulture is mainly due to the varying climatic conditions, as well as terroirs that are hosting around 46,800 hectares of vineyards.

The abundance of sunlight along with dry, hot summers and mild winters are favouring a prolonged growing season.

In addition, the coastal Mediterranean breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea is moderating the heat, thereby producing a brighter acidity in the wine grapes.

We could see that all these factors altogether are contributing to the diverse qualities of wines from Campania. The soil conditions here are found to be mostly volcanic in nature, which is responsible for keeping phylloxera at bay.

Wines from Campania

 Italian Red Wine - Italian White Wine - Italian Rosé Wine - Italian Sparkling Wine, Prosecco - Beer from Italy 

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Alcohol and Distilleries

Wines of Campania

With a total number of four DOCGs, fifteen DOCs, and ten IGPs, this region is producing almost 1.6 million hectolitres of wines every year. This quantity is equal to around 17.9 million cases of wine.

As such, we can see that about 75% of the total production is belonging to DOCG, DOC, or IGT category of wines. Of the total production, we can see that over 60% is white.

Today, we can see that the white wines from Campania are fruitier and youthful, in spite of being screened in tradition.

Most often, the whites of Campania are found to be having aromatic characters, while the reds are found to be having bigger personalities.

Wine Grapes of Campania

We could say that the three musketeers of Campania’s viticulture are Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico. Of these, Fiano has been in use for over 2000 years now.

In the warmer climates, this white grape variety would tend to give smoky and fat wines. Greco is another white wine grape, which is of Greek origin.

This grape variety would tend to give dark colored, richer and highly tannic wines.

Finally, Aglianico is the major red variety of Campania, which is found to be giving rise to flinty notes of cherry and the essence of camphor and minerals.

Other Major Varieties of Campania:

  • Falanghina
  • Coda di Volpe Bianca
  • Caprettone
  • Pallagrello Bianco
  • Asprinio Bianco
  • Fenile
  • Ginestra
  • Roviello
  • Sciascinoso
  • Pallagrello Nero
  • Casavecchia
  • Tintore di Tramonti
  • Biancolella
  • Forastera
  • Olivella

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Author

Tharani Rajamanickam

Tharani Rajamanickam

Winewriter

I am Tharani, I have Bachelors degree in Biotechnology. I am passionate about the wine industry and continue to explore, learn and share and I bring in a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help you keep updated with best wines in the world. Stay tuned..

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