On May 14th we are hosting a grand tasting of 14 wines from wineries located in the Regions of Campania and Basilicata. The wineries are small family run operations; the largest produces approximately 70,000 bottles per annum. As with most small wineries the producers abide by sustainable viticulture; many are certified organic. We have selected one rose, three white and ten red wines for the tasting. I will provide commentary as to why I have selected a particular wine for the tasting. I encourage the reader to review the blog’s archives (detailed at end of this posting) for more information on the wineries.
You will note that I have not included any Taurasi wines in the tasting. No they have not fallen out of favor with me; I just could not decide which of the many from my cellar to include in the tasting. In the future I will have a “taste off” of the over ten different Taurasi wines from my cellar. For those partial to aglianico based wines, no worries as I have included three Aglianico del Vulture wines and an agliancio/piedirosso blend wine in the tasting.
Rose and White Wines
Getis 2015 Tramonti Costa d”Amalfi DOC, Andrea Reale, Borgo di Gete (fz) Tramonti, Salerno, 80% per’ e palummo and 20% tintore. A rose – why not try something different? The per’ e palummo grape is the Amalfi Coast expression of the piedirosso grape. The owner, Luigi Reale, has become a good friend as we have visited his winery and osteria on four occasions. Luigi produces approximately 12,000 bottles per annum. (Note the abbreviation “fz” means “frazione” – think Wollaston as part of Quincy.)
Cruna DeLago 2010 Campi Flegrei DOC, La Sibilla, Baia (fz) Bacoli, Napoli, 100% falanghina. The DeMeo family has hosted Ro and me and family and friends on four occasions. We have enjoyed scrumptious lunches and dinners. The son Vincenzo has assumed responsibility for the winery which produces approximately 70,000 bottles per year. The vineyards are adjacent to a significant historic site; Julius Caesar’s summer residence.
Le Serole 2012 Terre del Vulturno Pallagrello IGT, Terre del Principe, Squille (fz) Castel Campagnano Caserta, 100% pallagrello bianco. Manuela Piancastelli and Peppe Mancini, husband/wife team produce wines with grapes that Peppe “re-discovered”. On our first trip to Italy in 2010 Terre del Principe was the first winery we visited. We were treated like royalty – southern hospitality. We have met our good friends every year thereafter and will see them this fall.
Fruscio Di Ginestra 2012 La Cryma Cristi Del Vesuvio DOP, Terre de Sylva Mala, Boscotrecase, Napoli, 80% coda di volpe and 20% falanghina. Although we have visited this winery once, Euclide Servodidio and Francesco Buonomo made a lasting impression with their passion and commitment to organic viticulture.
Red Wine – Province of Salerno
Girapoggio 2010 Cilento Aglianico DOP, Verrone Viticoltori, Agropoli, Salerno, 100% aglianico. This is another winery that we have visited only once, but we were impressed with Paolo’s (who left the practice of law to assist his family) and Massimo’s passion for wine making. The winery produces only 30,000 bottles per annum.
Primalaterra 2013 Cilento Aglianico DOP, Salvatore Magnoni, Rutino, Salerno, 100% aglianico. Salvatore underwent a change of career as he quit his job as a DJ and records salesman in Napoli to become a wine maker at his family estate. Salvatore produces about 10,000 bottles per annum.
Ragis 2008 Campania IGT, Le Vigne di Raito, Raito (fz) Vietri sul Mare, Salerno, 80% agliancio and 20%piedirosso. This winery has the beautiful vista on the Amalfi Coast that has been featured in this blog and my Facebook on many occasions. Patrizia Malanga has a small production of less than 5,000 bottles. In 2014 she did not like the quality of her fermented juice and decided not to bottle under her label. We have visited her cantina four times and are making plans this year for another.
Borgo Di Gete 2007 Colli di Salerno, Andrea Reale, Borgo di Gete (fz) Tramonti, Salerno, 100% tintore. See above (Getis 2013) for information on winery. A comment on the tintore grape; it is a rare grape harvested only on the Amalfi Coast and is considered a “big grape” as is the aglianico grape. Again something different to try.
Red Wine – Provinces of Napoli and Caserta
Fauno Rosso 2011 Vesuvio DOC, Terre di Sylva Mala, Boscotrecase, Napoli, 100% piedirosso. See above(Fruscio di Ginestra 2012) for information on winery. This wine is only one to be tasted that is 100% piedirosso.
Barone 2010 Falerno del Massico DOP, Regina Viarum, Falciano del Massico, Caserta, 100% primitivo. Yes, primitivo grape and the winery is not located in Puglia. In ancient Rome the primitivo grape was harvested in Caserta and today Regina Viarum is one of a few wineries in the Falerno del Massico DOP that produces wines with the primitivo grape. This most welcoming family produces approximately 19,000 bottles per annum.
Piancastelli 2011 Terre del Volturno Rosso IGT, Terre del Principe, Squille (fz) Castel Campagnano, Caserta, 70% pallagrello nero and 30% casavecchia. See above (Le Serole) for information on winery. These two grapes were “re-discovered” by Peppe Mancini. Enjoy this wine and the story on how it came to be.
Red Wine – Province of Potenza
Cerentino 2006 Agliancio del Vulture DOC, Colli Cerentino, Rionero in Vulture, Potenza, 100% aglianico. The cantina is located in Rionero in Vulture, but the vineyards are located in the nearby town of Maschito. One of the smaller wineries in the Vulture region, Colli Cerentino produces less than 35,000 bottles per annum. My grandparents were born in the Province of Potenza and our friend Ron Pepe’s grandfather was born in Maschito; thus the inclusion of this wine in the tasting is a no-brainer.
400 Some Aglianico del Vulture DOC, Carbone, Melfi, Potenza. 100% aglianico. The sister – brother combination of Sara and Luca Carbone have developed the 40 year old family owned winery into one of the leading wineries in the Vulture region. 400 Some is their leading wine.
Serra Del Prete 2011 Aglianico del Vulture DOC, Musto Carmelitano, Maschito, Potenza 100% agliancio. Elisabetta (along with her consultant Fortunato Sebastiano) was kind to carve out time from her harvest this past fall to provide us a tasting. Interestingly she ferments her wine in cement tanks; of the 40 plus wineries we have visited this winery and one other are only ones that ferment their wine in cement.
To help you in the archives search please focus on the following blog postings:
September 3, 2015 Terre del Principe
September 11, 2015 Le Vigne di Raito
December 15, 2015, Reale
October 25, 2015 Regina Viarum and La Sibilla
October 11, 2015 Carbone
October 13, 2015 Musto Carmelitano
May 5, 2016 Terre de Sylva Mala, Verrone, Salvatore Magnoni and Colli Cerentino
March 30, 2015 Terre del Principe, Le Vigne di Raito, Reale and Regina Viarum
Here are some photos of the wineries and wine producers:
