Campania is a region rich in history, especially archaeology and architecture, with ancient sites such as Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, Paestum, Aeclanum, Stabiae, and Velia. Campania is also a multifaceted wine region where the volcanic soil is a key denominator in many subareas, especially on Vesuvius, in Campi Flegrei, Alta Caserta, and in parts of Benevento and Irpinia. Heroic viticulture is also central in several areas, such as on the slopes of Vesuvio, the terraced vineyards on the Amalfi coast, or at altitude in Irpinia. Tourism is today, furthermore, an essential industry in Campania with attractive locations such as Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Mount Vesuvius, the Royal Palace of Caserta, Cilento, and the islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida, which also benefits the wine areas.

The wine areas Irpinia, Sannio Beneventano, Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, Alta Caserta, Cilento, and the islands are all worth showcasing. Still, here I have selected to do a brief overview of Campi Flegrei, Benevento, and Irpinia.

Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields)

Campi Flegrei, northeast of Naples, is an active volcanic area with a rich viticultural heritage. The area is a collapsed caldera comprising many small eruptive centers that have been active in different periods during the last 39,000 years. The Flegreo volcanic area comprises Campi Flegrei, part of Naples, the Gulf of Naples, and the islands of Procida and Ischia. Campi Flegrei, celebrated for its urban viticulture and winemaking, is a hidden gem amidst the chaos of traffic, houses, and a dense population.

According to ancient history and literature, the area has a mystical and darker side. “Phlegraean” stems from the Greek word “Flegraios,” which means “burning fields,” which refers to the fumaroles that release hot gases and vapor. Furthermore, it has been mentioned in both Italian and international literature, for example, in ancient Greek mythology where it was the underworld of Hades, by Homer, Dante, and Goethe, who in 1787 wrote, “Beneath the purest sky, the most treacherous soil…” about Campi Flegrei in his letters.

In Campi Flegrei, we find wine producers such as Agnanum, Salvatore Martusciello, Cantine Astroni, Contrada Salandra, Cantavitae, Cantine del Mare, and Mario Portolano, to name a few.

Salvatore Martusciello

Image: Salvatore Martusciello and Gilda Guida Martusciello

Salvatore Martusciello struck out on his own from his family in 2015 by founding Salvatore Martusciello’s winery together with his wife, Gilda. By now, they are a fixed point and driving force in the wine world of Campi Flegrei, where they have two hectares of vineyard plots that grow Falanghina and Piedirosso. They make Settevulcani Falanghina dei Campi Flegrei Doc and Settevulcani Piedirosso dei Campi Flegrei Doc. They also buy grapes from trusted growers in the Aversa and Sorrentino areas, where they make the wines Ottouve Gragnano Doc Rosso, Ottouve Lettere della Penisola Sorrentina Doc, and the sparkling wine Trentapioli l’Asprinio d’Aversa Doc.

Salvatore and Gilda talk about their wines as “vini di persistenza”- wines of persistence - which refers to their history as winemakers in Campi Flegrei and the sensory persistence of their wines. They are a dynamic couple whose wines have a similar forceful character, personality, and drinkability. I enjoyed their Settevulcani Piedirosso dei Campi Flegrei Doc 2019, which I tasted some years ago during Campania Stories while visiting Campi Flegrei. The Piedirosso is grown on ungrafted rootstocks, and the volcanic influences make it even more special. It is a fruit-forward wine with notes of, for example, raspberry, marasca cherry, and blackberry in a more mature or liqueur-like form: a wine that embodies the essence of Campi Flegrei.

On a second note, I would also like to mention Cantavitae Winery…

which is a newer small producer in the Marano locality in Campi Flegrei. Michelangelo Schiattarella’s father was a wine merchant, which was quite common in the past in the area, and the business dates to 1927. After obtaining his degree in agronomy and enology, Michelangelo decided to start making wine with the support of his wife, Valentina Cirino, and his family.

They grow Falanghina and Piedirosso in Campi Flegrei (they even have a tiny vineyard plot right in their backyard). At the same time, they also have vineyards in the Benevento and Alta Caserta (where they grow Primitivo) areas. Their Kairós Falanghina Campi Flegrei Doc and Íchnos Piedirosso Campi Flegrei Doc wines are well-made and enjoyable, especially the Piedirosso. However, I found more personality in their wines made from grapes grown in the Benevento area, such as the Dama del Sole Falanghina, Rocca delle Lune Greco, and Puro del Duca Aglianico (even if the oak is perceivable at the nose). I visited their winery earlier this spring.

Sannio, in the province of Benevento

Sannio is located in the modern province of Benevento. In ancient times, it was the region inhabited by the Samnites, who lived there from the 7th century BC until a few hundred years AD. Their territory included parts of present-day Abruzzo, Molise, Puglia, and Campania. Viticulture and winemaking have historically been, and are still today, a part of the cultural identity and heritage of the Sannio Beneventano area. Falanghina and Aglianico are the most well-known grapes from the district. In recent years, there has been a tendency to re-evaluate local grapes such as Piedirosso and Camaiola (until recently called Barbera del Sannio, native to the Telesina Valley) in their monovarietal form. Also, Fiano, Greco, Coda di Volpe, and Sciascinoso are grapes grown in the area.

The Sannio area is known for three primary wine appellations: Aglianico del Taburno Docg, Falanghina del Sannio Doc, and Sannio Doc. Additionally, there is the more general Benevento Igt. The region has 10,000 hectares under vine, where the soil is mainly clay and calcareous with volcanic elements in the Vitulanese, Telesina, and Galdina areas, while the soil in the northeastern part of Sannio has no volcanic influence.

In recent years, the Sannio area has seen an upswing of smaller and more artisanal wineries alongside the larger wineries and cooperatives. This seems to have given rise to a more collaborative spirit compared to the past. Some wineries to mention are Mustilli, Fontanavecchia, Rossovermiglio, Cantina Morone, Ocone Vini 1910, Monserrato 1973, La Fortezza, Tenuta Sant’Agostino, and Fattoria La Rivolta.

I have visited and met with several of them on many different occasions, for example, Tenuta La Fortezza, Tenuta Sant’Agostino, and Fattoria La Rivolta.

Tenuta La Fortezza

Tenuta La Fortezza is owned by the local boy Enzo Rillo, who has a construction and road safety company and is also involved in the textiles and the advanced tertiary sector. He decided years ago to invest in wine production because he loves the village of Torrecuso in Sannio, where he was born, and wants to contribute and gain visibility in the local territory. His parents were farmers, so he wanted to connect with his roots, so to speak.

Tenuta La Fortezza comprises about 60 hectares of vineyards at 350 to 550 meters altitude, where they grow mainly local grape varieties such as Falanghina and Aglianico, Fiano, Greco, and Piedirosso. They are a bit larger winery than the others mentioned above, producing around two million bottles. Their flagship wines are the Aglianico del Taburno Docg and the Falanghina del Taburno Doc, followed by the Premium line of wines they launched in the autumn of 2022, which tell a story about the local territory, its terroir, and its extraordinary potential. I tasted the first 2020 vintage of these wines on the launch day in 2022. The Premium line includes four wines:

- Ussié Metodo Classico Millesimato Pas Dosè is made with Fiano and Aglianico and vinified as white. Ussié means ‘listen to me carefully’ in the local dialect.

- Tremién, Metodo Classico Millesimato Pas Dosè, made with Fiano, Falanghina, and Aglianico vinified as white. Tremién means ‘look at me carefully’ in the local dialect.

- Donnadaniela, this white IGT wine is made with Fiano and Aglianico vinified as white.

- Bareglià, this red IGT wine is made with Aglianico, Piedirosso (that matures briefly in oak), and Camaiola (that only does steel).

I especially liked the Ussié Metodo Classico Millesimato Pas Dosè for its structure, complexity at the nose, and cheerfulness. Also, Bareglià 2020 spoke to me for its exciting blend of Aglianico, Piedirosso, and Camaiola, and freshness followed by notes of sour cherry, plum, darker fruit, violet, tobacco, forest floor, herbal touch, and a bit dusty tannins though still smooth.

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Irpinia

Irpinia is a vast wine area with three Docg appellations - Fiano di Avellino Docg, Greco di Tufo Docg, and Taurasi Docg - that show this territory’s greatness. The soils in Irpinia are mainly clay, calcareous, and sand enriched with elements from the volcanic areas of the Vulture, Vesuvius, and Caserta mountains. Significantly, the accumulation of ashes and lapilli from the different eruptions in the distant past into layers has given rise to tuff and a higher level of minerality in the soil. In the Tufo municipality, the soil is also rich in sulphur, discovered by Cantine di Marzo, which set up a sulphur mining industry in the 19th century. It was in this context that the method of ‘zolfatura, ‘i.e., using sulphur to protect the vines against external diseases, was discovered in Irpinia. 

Irpinia can be divided into four main zones:

- Northern slope, including places like Pietradefusi and Torre Le Nocelle, with vineyards at 300-350 meters altitude.

- Central Valley, with, for example, the municipalities Taurasi, Luogosano, and Fontanarosa, sits at 400-450 meters altitude. The soil here is rich in volcanic ashes—for example, Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, Di Prisco, and Quintodecimo wineries.

- Western Slope, with places like Lapio, Montemiletto, Tufo, Montefalcione, and Montefredane. Lapio, for example, is known as being an essential area for Fiano. See wineries like Tenuta del Meriggio, Masseria della Porta, Traerte Vadiaperti, Cantine di Marzo, and Torricino.

- South Eastern Slope, with municipalities like Montemarano, Paternopoli, Castelfranci, and Castelvetere sul Calore. Here, you find wineries like Perillo of Michele Perillo, Boccella of Raffaele Boccella, Stefania Barbot, and Luigi Tecce.

Di Prisco Winery

Pasqualino Di Prisco decided in the mid-1990s to convert the family farm to a focus on wine production. Earlier, they had mainly made wine for family and friends. From the beginning, Pasquale uprooted the Trebbiano planted in their two hectares of vineyard to plant Fiano. In 1997, they added Greco and Aglianico, though Pasquale was more inclined to focus on making red wines and came out with his first Taurasi that same year.

They now have about ten hectares around the winery in the Fontanarosa district in the central valley at an altitude of about 400-500 m.a.s.l.

Di Prisco winery is well-known for its Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, and Coda di Volpe wines, just as much as their Campi Taurasini Doc and Taurasi Docg wines. The signature of their wines is that Pasquale keeps them in the vats until he feels they are ready. The Taurasi ages in big oak casks that “season” and smooth out the Aglianico, giving it its unique terroir-driven signature, whereas Pasquale lets the wine speak for itself rather than imposing a personal style.

Today, Pasquale runs the farm with his wife and three children. I visited their winery last year and tasted some fantastic wines, such as Irpinia Coda di Volpe Doc 2021, Taurasi Docg 2006, and Taurasi Docg 2003. I loved both their Taurasi Docg 2006 and Taurasi Docg 2003 for their well-rounded tannins and finesse. The 2006 had a good freshness, subtle nose, mature red fruit, and complexity, elegantly showing off its roots tied to the local territory. The 2003 was a bit further down on the maturation curve with more herbal notes and maquis, but it was still a graceful wine with silent power.

This article is written by Katarina Andersson for the London Wine Competition. Katarina is a wine writer, wine educator, social media strategist, and translator. She is the founder of WinesOfItaly.

Header image: Di Prisco

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