November 2024
Southern Italy
When Italian wine comes up in conversation it’s almost always in reference to one of four regions: Tuscany, Piedmont, Northeastern Italy, or Abruzzo. Occasionally wines from Sicily or Emilia-Romagna come to the fore, but classically those four regions remain the focus. What do those regions have in common? They’re all in Northern or Central Italy. The entire bottom half of the boot is generally forgotten about in most wine circles: Campania, Calabria, Puglia, and Basilicata don’t carry the name recognition of their northern counterparts. Our wines this month come from Pugia and Basilicata (two from each region). We’ll also be bringing in wines from Campania and an Apulian Negroamaro to compliment the club wines… So if you’re digging these four, ask about the others as well.
The south of Italy is a place once speckled with Greek, Roman and Byzantine trading hubs. It’s home to Brindisi, the ancient gateway to the east for Rome. And most notably (for our purpose) Southern Italy is where Falernum, by far the most famous wine in the Roman Empire, was from. So, why has wine been neglected in this corner of Europe? Like any discussion of the economic deterioration of a region or nation, it’s complicated, but there are a couple related threads that would seem to answer the question: the current industrial might of the north and the historic fracturing of Italy which manifested in the south very differently than the north.
Currently, the vast majority of Italy’s population and industrial might is in the north and thus the vast majority of Italy’s wealth is in the north. It follows that investment in wine happened near to said wealth… pretty simple, not that interesting.
More intriguing is the history of this area. Historically, Southern Italy didn’t have city-states the likes of Florence, Milan, and Venice: internationally potent economic and military hubs. Through the middle ages and, to a degree up until very recently, Southern Italy was incredibly poor and feudally run. Petty noblemen scraped all they could from small farmers, forcing an agriculture based not on quality but on quantity. Abusive short-term land leases encouraged growers never to invest in long-term profitability, and extreme taxes on the poor created a never-ending cycle of poverty. As Northern Italy thrived during the enlightenment years, Southern Italy’s feudal structure was slowly replaced by a strongman culture that operated much the same way as feudalism but without political backing. Over the years this solidified into the mafia structure that still exists today (not as explicitly as 100 years ago). It’s not a land of investment and tourism is sparse compared to the rest of the country. Thankfully though, even with a deck stacked against them, there are still phenomenal producers working the vineyards of Southern Italy.
In the present day, it has been the task of these small producers, working ancient terroirs with historic varietals, to slowly but surely highlight the potential of these growing regions. While we don’t cover the entirety of Southern Italy with these four wines, we do cover two very important chunks of land: Mount Vulture in Basilicata and the Adriatic coast of Puglia. The first, a dormant volcano, is host to exceptional conditions for high-quality grape growing: elevation, a dry growing season, and volcanic soils. Aglianico from here is compared to Barolo for its finesse, beauty, and structure. In Puglia, looking across the sea to Albania, the coastal growing regions are windswept and mediterranean. Negroamaro and Primitivo (Zinfandel) thrive, offering lush, deep, fruit-forward wines. There’s a lot to love about these wines, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Vigneti del Vulture - ‘Pipoli’ Greco-Fiano
Basilicata
The Grapes
60% Greco, 40% Fiano - Sustainable Farming
Producer Profile
Located on the slopes of a dead volcano in the sparsely populated Basilicata region, Vigneti del Vulture works exclusively with this area's native varietals: Aglianico, Greco, and Fiano. Farmed on steep, volcanic slopes, the vineyards here are rich in minerally, volcanic soils, perfect for creating complex, unique wine.
Tasting Notes
Really lovely and forward florality: lilac, crushed white flower petals, perfume. On the palate citrus rind and more floral notes that stretch out into the finish. Nice balanced acid and body.
Pairing Suggestions
A nice crunchy stir-fry, heavy on ginger.
Filippo Cassano - ‘CALX’ Primitivo
Puglia
The Grapes
100% Primitivo - Organic Farming and Winemaking
Producer Profile
Apulian winemaker Filippo Cassano makes this wine from grapes farmed on the ancient limestone plateau Altopiano delle Murge, from which the name Calx (old Latin for ‘limestone’) derives. The elevation of the plateau and terroir-driven nature of this wine make it a bit lighter on its feet than the average Apulian Primitivo. Made with native yeasts, aged in stainless steel, very low sulfur addition.
Tasting Notes
Brambly red fruits like raspberry and currant on the nose. Aromatics of rose petal, tobacco, and a touch of menthol. Elevated acidity for this varietal and a freshness that isn’t usually found in classic zinfandels.
Pairing Suggestions
This is a great pizza wine if you want to keep it simple. We enjoyed it with roasted broccoli pasta, which was quite nice.
Paternoster - ‘Synthesi’ Aglianico del Vulture
Basilicata
The Grapes
100% Aglianico - Organic Farming
Producer Profile
Paternoster is one of the leading producers in Basilicata, farming three of the four slopes of Mount Vulture and making elegant wines from the ancient Aglianico grape. Located almost 2000 feet above sea level, these estate grapes come from a trio of volcanic black soil vineyards encircling the mountain. Fermented in stainless steel before 12 months of aging in Slavonian oak for 80% of the wine and 14 months in barriques for the remaining 20%.
Tasting Notes
Plum, ripe fruit, nice spiciness: clove, more menthol, cinnamon. On the palate blackberry and more plum with an undertone of smoke. Nice crunchy tannin is evened out by moderate acid.
Pairing Suggestions
A nice spread of smoked meats and hard cheeses like pecorino.
Masseria li Veli - ‘Susumaniello’ Salento
Puglia
The Grapes
100% Susumaniello - Sustainable Farming
Producer Profile
This is an exploratory wine from one of Salento’s top producers. The primary wine from this region is Negroamaro, but Li Veli has a side project in which they explore extremely niche, ancient varietals such as this Susumaniello. This grape, only found in the extreme south of Italy, is a gorgeous example of what forgotten grapes are capable of. Fermented and aged in French oak.
Tasting Notes
A pop of spiciness with berry notes jumping out right away. As it opens up, notes of clove and chocolate come forward. The dark chocolate melts right into the berries and draws out the finish nicely.
Pairing Suggestions
Beef braciole: traditional Apulian breadcrumb, cheese, and herb-stuffed beef in tomato sauce.