The ancient wine region of Campania stretches along the “shin” of Italy’s boot, bordered to the west by the Mediterranean Sea and anchored by the city of Naples. With a viticultural history reaching back to the 12th century B.C., Campania is renowned for wines made from indigenous grape varieties often found nowhere else. While international varieties such as Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and Riesling are produced around the world, Campania’s strength lies in native grapes: Aglianico, introduced by the Greeks millennia ago; Fiano, cultivated for centuries and first cited in the 13th century; Greco di Tufo, a pale white variety brought to southern Italy by the Greeks about 2,500 years ago; and Coda di Volpe, another ancient local grape. These and other traditional varieties define the region’s distinctive character.
Several Campanian wines are available in the United States and showcase the region’s variety and depth. Donnachiara’s Irpinia Coda di Volpe 2014 (approximately $18) displays a pale lemon color and offers a forward, fruity nose with citrus and tropical fruit notes. On the palate it is full-bodied and lively, youthful and vibrant, with a lingering finish. The name Coda di Volpe—“tail of a fox”—refers to the curved shape of the grape clusters.
Donnachiara Esoterico Campania Fiano 2011 (about $30) is a concentrated, bright-yellow wine that reveals pronounced aromas of melon and other ripe fruits, accompanied by subtle honeyed and nutty nuances. Intensely flavored, it has a rounded, satiny texture and a long-lasting presence on the palate, making it a compelling example of Fiano’s ability to combine richness with finesse.
For those seeking a red made from Aglianico, Tenuta Cavalier Pepe’s La Loggia del Cavaliere Taurasi Riserva 2008 (circa $75) is an excellent introduction. This wine opens with a perfumed bouquet suggesting plums and dark fruit, followed by a full, almost dense body supported by a firm structural spine and a long, persistent finish. Properly aged, it demonstrates the power and elegance Aglianico can achieve in Taurasi.
The Donnachiara Campania Aglianico 2012 (roughly $16) takes a different approach by avoiding oak influence, allowing the grape’s intrinsic character to shine through. Lighter in style than many aged Aglianico wines, it offers earthy notes, red berry flavors and a medium-dry finish—an approachable expression of the variety that highlights purity and freshness.
Campania’s wines embody a blend of ancient tradition and distinct regional identity. Whether tasting bright, mineral-driven whites like Fiano and Greco di Tufo or the structured, savory reds of Aglianico, wine lovers will discover flavors tied to a long and storied winemaking heritage.