We are hosting a fundraiser wine tasting to help two friends who running the Boston Marathon raise money for a charity. Below is a description of the wines that will be served.

 

White Wines

 

2010 Coda di Volpe Irpinia DOC, Azienda Agricola Perillo

Michele Perillo’s winery, located in Castelfranci, Avellino, Campania, began bottling wine from grapes grown

in his family’s vineyard in 1999; the wine was available for sale in 2003. Prior to 1999 Michele and his family sold their grapes to Northern Italian wine makers that used red aglianico grapes to strengthen and darken wines. The first bottling consisted of only 2,140 bottles of Taurasi. Although still a small producer, Michele has four and one-half hectares of vineyard; 95% dedicated to aglianico grapes and 5% dedicated to coda di volpe grapes. Although not certified as an organic producer, Michele abides by principles of sustainable viticulture. Michele has expanded his annual production to approximately 20,000 bottles. He has a strong international following as about 80% of his wines are sold abroad. Michele’s cantina is a garage with no formal tasting area. Michele does not attend many wine tastings but is welcoming to visitors; we have visited with him and his family on three occasions. In addition to his Taurasi Riserva, Michele’s produces a white wine from the obscure coda di volpe grape and it is considered one of the top Coda di Volpe wines in Avellino.

 

2014 Falanghina Campi Flegrei DOC, Azienda Agricola Agnanum di Moccia Raffaele

Agnanum, which is owned by Raffaele Moccia, is located within the city limits of Napoli. An urban

winery; it lacks the picturesque approach we have found with wineries located in the countryside. We saw more high tension wires than trees. Despite the urban location the cantina is a converted farming structure of historical significance. Until 2002 Raffaele and his father made table wine that would be distributed to neighbors and friends in a jug. In 2002 Raffaele was convinced by wine maker Maurizio de Simone to bottle his wine. He now produces approximately 14,000 bottles per year; 2,400 of Piedirosso and the balance Falanghina. The Falanghina in the above photo ages in stainless steel tanks for 10 months (no aging in oak barrels), then 3 months in bottle before it is released. There are no blending grapes added; it is 100% falanghina grapes. The grapes are from a late harvest; almost all yeast is natural. This wine is not commercially available in the United States.

 

2014 Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Ciro Picariello

Ciro Picariello and his family — wife Rita, daughter Emma, and son Bruno are all involved with wine making.  Ciro is a civil engineer, who bought the vineyard in 1990, built the winery in 2002, and had his first vintage of 10,000 bottles of Fiano di Avellino in 2004.  Emma is studying bio-technology at a university in Avellino and Bruno is studying to be an oenologist.  Remarkably, Ciro does not employ a wine consultant; he is a self-taught wine maker having only made wine for home consumption before starting his business. He owns seven hectares of vineyard and rents four hectares. Ciro Picariello is certified organic and the Fiano di Avellino is considered one of the premier Fiano wines of Campania. The fiano grapes are fermented for 60 days and age in stainless steel tanks for 10 months with frequent batonnages (stirring); and three months in bottle before release for sale.

 

2012 Picoli Greco di Tufo DOCG, Cantina Bambinuto

Bambinuto is located in Santa Paolina, Avellino, Campania, an area known for excellent Greco di Tufo wines. Marilena Aufiero, the owner of Bambinuto,  produces a Greco di Tufo from her cru vineyard Picoli.  The cru produces a wine that has more acidity than her non-cru Greco di Tufo resulting in a Greco di Tufo wine that can cellar longer than the non-cru wine.  Picoli has about a one percent greater alcohol content than the non-cru wine.   Marilena’s father started Bambinuto in 2006. In 2009 Marilena gave up a career in law and joined her father to become a wine maker. Bambinuto has increased its production from the first vintage in 2007 of 7,000 bottles to the current production of approximately 22,000 bottles. Marilena’s cantina is small, similar to Michele Perillo’s “garage cantina” with the exception that there is a small comfortable showroom/tasting area; which we have visited on three occasions. Bambinuto is her mother’s family nickname, which in dialect means “good wind” or in proper Italian “benevento”.

 

 

Red Wines – Aglianico Grape

 

2011 Aglianico di Baal Colli di Salerno IGT, Casa di Baal Azienda  Agricola

Casa di Baal is a family owned and operated winery located in Montecorvino, Salerno, about 20 miles east of

the City of Salerno and near the Parco Regionale Monti Picentini. The winery, which produces about 25,000 bottles per year and is certified organic, has its origin in 1977 when Annibale Salerno’s father purchased 30 hectares of  land less than one mile from where Annibale was raised.  Annibale and his father had to smooth out hills so that the land could be used for farming; and dig a well over 150 meters deep to provide a steady flow of water to olive trees. Of the 30 hectares only 4 are dedicated for the cultivation of grapes; the balance of 26 hectares are used to cultivate olives, vegetables, fruit, and honey. The farm produces approximately 30,000 liters of olive oil per year, all for private customers. In 2006 Annibale and his family decided to make their wine available to the public. The grapes for Aglianico di Baal ferment and age for about four to five months in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then transferred to medium sized oak barrels to age for about another 12 months. After 8 months in the bottle Aglianico di Baal is released for sale.

 

2006 Vigne Cinque Querce Taurasi DOCG Riserva, Salvatore Molettieri

Salvatore Molettieri has spent much of his life in the family owned vineyard. In 1983 Salvatore decided to stop selling his family grapes and produce his own wine; at first in large containers for consumption by locals.

After receiving several awards for his “jug wine” Salvatore in 1988 had his first bottling of 7,225 bottles which were available for sale in 1995. Now Salvatore and his four sons, Giovanni, Guiseppe, Luigi, and Paolo produce about 70,000 bottles per year. The cantina, which is located in Montemarano, Avellino, Campania, is a large nondescript warehouse that features a large, comfortable tasting area; over the years we have enjoyed four tastings with Salvatore and his family. His wines are noted for their intensity and high alcohol content. The wines achieve these traits in part due to a late harvest (the first or second week of November), higher elevation of the vineyard and Salvatore’s method of aging wine. His flagship Taurasi, Vigna Cinque Querce Riserva, which has received many awards over the years, including multiple Tre Bicchieri from the Italian wine guide Gambero Rosso, ages in small and large oak barrels for 48 months. After 6 more months of aging in the bottle Taurasi Vigna Cinque Riserva is released for sale.

 

2009 Caselle Aglianico del Vulture DOC Riserva, D’Angelo

D’Angelo, a historic winery founded by Rocco D-Angelo in the 1930s, was the second winery in the Aglianico del Vulture wine area to bottle wine. Today the winery produces about 350,000 bottles under

the direction of Rocco’s grandchildren, the sister and brother combination of Erminia and Rocco D’Angelo. Erminia’s husband, Antonio Passannante, who is involved with all aspects of  the winery, gave us a tour of the cantina this past fall.  The fermentation of the grapes occurs in large cement tanks instead of stainless steel tanks, a process that differs from most others in the area. Per Antonio, less oxygen penetrates the cement during fermentation causing natural temperature control. These large cement tanks have to be cleaned inside by a person, specifically a small person who can fit into the small opening at the base of the tank. Caselle Aglianico del Vulture ages for 24 months in oak barrels. Pictured to the left, on top of the D’Angelo wine bottle is a “u cannit”.  Before drinking glasses were common, a “u cannit” would be attached to a bottle’s opening, causing just a narrow stream of wine to flow when the bottle was poured.  This allowed drinkers to share a bottle without their mouths touching the opening.  Sanitary, but glasses are simpler.

 

 2009 Macchia dei Goti Taurasi  DOCG, Cantine Antonio Caggiano

Antonio Caggiano, 76 years old, is an artist (photographer), an architect (his profession) and artisan wine maker. With the assistance of his wine consultant, the legendary Luigi Moio,  Antonio started his winery in 1994. His 1998 Macchia dei Goti Taurasi is one of my all-time favorite wines. Antonio ages the Taurasi one year in new oak barrels then the wine is

transferred to older oak barrels where it ages for another 6 months to a year. Antonio’s show room, tasting room and cellar are all located in a single building, one that is a modern structure with an antique taste. The cellar features numerous artistic expressions of Antonio’s land and wine. He has created sculptures from old roots. Light fixtures are made from the metal support of the wine barrels. There is diffused lighting through old wine bottles which are mounted on the walls. There is even an area that has a chapel feel to it as there is a group of bottles mounted to the wall in a shape that resembles a crucifix in front of a table that resembles an altar. Antonio told us that couples have exchanged wedding vows in this area of his cellar. Of the many wine cellars we have toured in Italy, Antonio’s stands out as the one that is the most artistic.

 

 

Red Wines – Other Grapes

 

2012 Zer05 Falerno del Massico Primitivo DOP, Cantine Regina Viarum

Regina Viarum, which translates to “Queen of the Road” is located at the base of Mount Massico within the Falerno wine area; wines from this area were a favorite of the ancient Romans. We visited this winery because we are friendly with its American importer, Nick Mucci. It is certified organic; and the wine

consultant is Gennaro Reale, who together with his business partner, Fortunato Sebastiano, is dedicated to sustainable viticulture. The Maddalena/Angelino family has been bottling wine since 2003; Elda Maddalena’s family has been harvesting grapes for over 100 years for its use and to sell. A small winery with a production of about 15,000 bottles it is one of three wineries in the Falerno Massico DOC area that produces wine with the primitivo grape. Zero5 is made with 100% hand-picked primitivo grapes. It has a longer maceration period with skins before most of the wine is transferred to stainless tanks where it ages for up to 18 months; a smaller amount ages in small oak barrels. We toured the vineyards with Gennaro Reale and Amalia Angelino. Some vines were eighty years old. At first I did not realize the proximity of the vineyard to the sea, but we could see the Tyrrhenian Sea from the vineyard.

 

 2008 Ragis Campania IGT,  Azienda Agricola Le Vigne di Raito

Le Vigne Di Raito, which we have visited four times, is located on a hill in the Amalfi Coast frazione of Raito within the town of Vietri sul Mare. The winery  is certified organic. Patrizia Malanga, the owner. minimizes “stress” on the grapes as she uses a “soft press” method. A special low stress pump is used to transfer the juice from the fermentation tanks to smaller tanks and barrels. Ragis is an 80%/20% blend of aglianico and piedirosso grapes, respectively; the grapes are fermented and aged differently. After the soft press, agliancio is placed directly into wood barrels, which requires Patrizia to “battonage” (stir) the aglianico wine juice. Patrizia decides each year whether to age piedirosso in steel or wood; no decision had been made for the 2015 vintage year at the time of our visit. Patrizia, like other wine makers, incorporates new wood barrels in the aging process. Some of the wine ages in new barrels and other in older barrels referred to as second passage, third passage, etc. Each passage generally equates to a year. We contrasted the smell of wine aging in two barrels and noted the stronger

wood influence on the smell from the new barrel when compared to that from the second passage barrel. Patrizia, a perfectionist and artist, will not produce wine unless she is satisfied with the quality of the grapes. Two years ago was a difficult harvest and instead of producing wine with what she assessed to be inferior grapes, she opted to sell her grapes to other producers and “sit out” the 2014 vintage.

 

 

 

 

 

2011 Piancastelli Terre del Volturno Rosso IGT, Terre del Principe

In each of the past five years we have visited Manuela Piancastelli and Peppe Mancini, wife-husband owners of Terre del Principe. In 2011 we celebrated my mother’s 85th birthday at Terre del Principe.  We have brought and sent friends and other family members to Terre del Principe. Manuela and Peppe have introduced us to many Italian wine makers. We have become good friends; last May, Ro and I traveled to NYC to spend an afternoon with Manuela and Peppe at a wine tasting event sponsored by Terre del Principe’s importer. Manuela and Peppe are accomplished professionals in the areas of journalism and law, respectively. They became interested in wine making after they were established in their respective careers. Peppe recalling the days of his youth when his grandfather would make wine from pallagrello grapes (both the pallagrello nero and pallagrello bianco), forgotten grapes from a bygone era, dedicated himself to reviving these nearly extinct grapes. While doing so, Peppe rediscovered the casavecchia grape. Meanwhile Manuela working as a journalist interviewed Peppe about his quest to revive these long forgotten grapes. A lifetime partnership ensued.

Manuela and Peppe got married and together they became dedicated to producing wine from the pallagrello and casavecchia grapes. As a result of Peppe’s success in reviving the pallagrello grapes and the rediscovery of the casavecchia grape, the Terre del Vulturo wine area is dedicated to the production of both pallagrello and casavecchia wines. These wines are produced only in this area – nowhere else in Italy, nor the world. There are only several wineries that produce wines from the pallagrello and casavecchia grapes; and Terre del Principe is one of the leading wineries. Terre del Principe true to its emphasis on historical grapes produces wines only from the indigenous pallagrello and casavecchia grapes. Piancastelli wine is a 70%/30% blend of the pallagrello nero grape and casavecchia grape, respectively. Terre del Principe produces approximately 55,000 bottles per year. It adheres to a natural/organic method of viticulture.

 

2012 Cardemone Tramonti Costa d’Amalfi DOC, Azienda Agricola Reale Andrea

We have visited Azienda Agricola Andrea Reale four times over the past five years. The winery, which is

operated by Luigi Reale, is located in the mountains of the Amalfi Coast frazione of Gete in the town of Tramonti.  The vineyards have been owned by the Reale family for over a century.  Many vines are more than 100 years old.  The phylloxera aphid insect that destroyed many vines in France and Italy in the mid to late 1800’s did not impact Reale’s vines.  Luigi is not sure why. It may have been the soil, which like that of many wine areas in Campania has been enriched by volcanic ash over the centuries, or it could have been Reale’s remote location. Reale is certified organic.  There is minimal non-natural intervention; chemicals and machinery are not used in the vineyard.  The vines are supported by wooden branch “poles” made from chestnut trees. The vine branches are supported by material from salice plants, that are grown in the vineyard, not by rope or

twine.  At harvest the grapes are hand-picked.  Although it is time-consuming, Luigi takes immense pride in his old-fashioned way of cultivating  grapes. In  keeping with local practice, Luigi’s wines are made from indigenous grapes. His family revived the ancient tintore grape, much in the same manner that Terre del Principe revived the casavecchia and pallagrello grapes. The tintore grape, like many other grapes from Southern Italy, was originally used as a blending grape for wines in parts of Northern Italy to deepen color or strengthen structure.  Reale, like many families from Southern Italy, decided to stop sending grapes north and to start producing wines from its indigenous grapes. Reale also makes wines with the per’ e’ palummo (red grape that is the Amalfi Coast expression of the piedirosso grape) and the biancazita, biancolella and pepella grapes (white grapes). Cardemone is an 80%/20% blend of per’ e’ palummo and tintore grapes, respectively.