Wine Club: Campania
Hello 2023!
Welcome to 2023! I have a good feeling about this one…
Think Amalfi coast; Positano, Capri, Naples. Think Volcanic; Vesuvius, Pompei, ancient temples. Think Campania.
As we enter a new trip around the sun, the talk is always about how to do better this year, how to open yourself up and try new things. But as humans we are certainly creatures of habit and my habit is Italy. I have been trying to switch up our inventory more regularly and find new and exciting wines- to the detriment of Danielle and Deirdre who all of a sudden walk into the shop and don’t recognize all the new wines! Sorry guys!
But in selecting the wines for the new year I couldn’t help but send us back to Italy….sorry but not sorry! Italy boasts some of the most incredible terroir and varietals in my book with each region specializing in its own type of grapes, food, dialects and more. There is a constant reason to explore and travel throughout this expansive country. This year we are kicking off with the shin of the boot; Campania- a region I know way less about but am so excited to explore. So let’s dive in…
Grapevines were first introduced to Campania in 800 BC by the Greeks making it one of the oldest grape growing regions in Italy. From the coastal town of Naples to the base of the Appenine Mountains this region varies in altitude but is laden with fertile soils comprised of volcanic deposits. We will be kicking off with a duo from the coastal estate of Agnanum and then make our way to the Irpinian hills with Cantina Giardino.
Cheers
Agnanum ‘Sabbia Vulcanica’ • Falanghina & Piedirosso • Campania Italy
Enter Agananum. On the very western edge of Naples is the Campi Flegrei; a region marked by volcanic craters with close proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea making it a fascinating region to make wine. Within the Campi Flegrei is the Agnano crater where Rafaelle Moccia has been working 10 hectares of steep, terraced old vines without the use of commercial products or machinery for the last forty years. And one of the last families to do so in the area. The soils are comprised of sand, volcanic ash & basalt hence the ‘Sabbia Vulcanica’ or ‘volcanic soils.’ We are showing these two cuvees; one of 100% Falanghina *(minerally, salty, spiced orchard fruit) and 100% Piedirosso (graphite, herbs, dark flowers).
Cantina Giardino ‘Gaia’ • Fiano • Campania Italy
Cantina Giardino is a joint venture between six friends working to preserve old vineyards and native grape varieties in and around Irpinia ( a district of Campania within the Appenine mountains). They work about 6 hectares total from far and wide throughout the region with all work done by hand and organically. The focus is to let the terroir express itself with a limited approach to the winemaking process. Gaia is 100% Fiano from 90 year old vines that are planted about 500 meters above sea level. It sees 4 days of skin contact before spending the year in chestnut & mulberry casks and then aged in bottle for a couple of years. Super complex, wild aromatics, and very limited allocation to us here in Vermont.
Cantina Giardino ‘Anfora Rosso’ • Aglianico, Barbera, Piedirosso • Campania Italy
It is a new year- and while we have made it through the holiday parties and such- I am sure there will be more things to celebrate this year. So we are including a MAGNUM! For those of you who have never had a magnum- I highly recommend. First off they are fun. Second you always need more wine when having a dinner party. And third…well I repeat first and second. There is always an occasion so kick it off right this year.
The Anfora rosso is a fun table blend, essentially the perfect pizza wine made from mostly Aglianico, one of the most widely planted varieties for the region, and then blended with a couple others. They actually only make this wine in magnums! It’s juicy, its fresh and still has that underlying minerality so indicative of the region.