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Campania, the region where Naples is capital, is the land of sunshine. Washed by the Tyrrhenian Sea at the west, this southern region has all the right climatic and geographic conditions for good wine production. High summer temperatures and mild winters allow the grapes to ripen to full maturity and assure a high sugar content.
Wine production in Campania is centered in the area around Avellino (between Napoli and Salerno), with its dry climate exposed to the influences of the Tirrhanean Sea. There is also a modest wine-making industry in the areas of of Salerno and Amalfi, though it has still to be fully developed.
The local varieties lend a rich body to Taurasi, a thick and strong sweet red among the finest of its kind. Campania boasts some most ancient grapes, such as the Falerno varietal enjoyed by the Greeks and Romans.
Some aleatici, moscati and passiti (sweet dessert wines) are also of interest.
White Wines:
Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Biancolella are sure to be counted
among the finest dry white dinner wines in the world. An interesting bit
of wine trivia concerns Fiano. It seems the name is a derrivation of the
Latin word apianum, by which the Romans referred to this grape apparently
so attractive to bees. Of the best dessert whites, Passito is always a sure
bet. Keep in mind that dry white wines are best drunk young.
Red Wines:
Less appreciated, perhaps and less widely distributed are Campania's red
wines, although they very often prove to be optimum wines, particularly: |
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