Italy’s Campania Region produces world class white wines that should be on everyone’s table this summer
The Campania Region
Located on the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, the Campania region boasts amazingly diverse geographic features. From the rugged coastline, gulfs, and islands of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the sprawling hills and mountains to the east, the region has been celebrated as a go to destination since the time of the ancient Greeks. Campania is world famous for its agriculture and cuisine.
- Modern pizza was first created in its biggest city Naples
- Buffalo mozzarella started life in Campania over 1,000 years ago, when Capuan monks would make it to feed passing pilgrims and travelers.
- Amalfi lemons are renowned for their wonderful flavor and aroma.
- Locally grown Sun ripened Tomatoes, basil, and olive oil all come together to form the world famous Caprese Salad.
But so few outside the region are familiar with their wines.
Volcanic Soil
At the heart of the Campanian agriculture is its volcanic soil. The region is dominated by volcanos. The majestic Mount Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei (a large caldera a few kilometers to the north west), Mount Epomeo (12 miles to the west on the island of Ischia), and several undersea volcanoes to the south. Over the millennia, the eruptions of these volcanoes has produced soils rich in nutrients and minerality. These soils are also porous allowing them to retain moisture even in the mediteranean climate found in the region. Another benefit is that the volcanic soil is harmful to the parasite Phylloxera so many of the vines are quite old (some up to a 100 years) and have had the benefit of time to perfectly adapt to their environment. Fruit, vegetables, and grapes grown in these soils have complexity and flavors found nowhere else, truly imparting a sense of terroir in this unique region.
The Wines
Fiano
A full bodied white wine with floral aromas and bright flavors of citrus, tropical fruit and minerals. This wine is perhaps the most sensitive to where it is grown. In Campania, its ancestral home is the Fiano Avelino DOCG where the wines are complex, bold, and age worthy due to the rich volcanic soil and mountainous terrain with which it is grown. In Sicily the wines are rounder and sweeter with less minerality. In Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, the wines are very crisp with bright acidity and bold citrus flavors.
Falanghina
This varietal dates back all the way to Roman times where it was used to make the famous Flanerian wine. In modern times it is a bright bold white wine with great structure and bold flavors of citrus, apple, and pear with bright acidity and a clean long finish. The best examples are grown in the Falanghina del Sannio DOC.
Greco di Tufo
This varietals lineage is thought to go back as far as 2000 years. While it is grown in various regions in southern Italy it’s primary home is the Greco di Tufo DOCG near the town of Tufo. The grapes are grown in soil known as Tufo: a chalky red clay that breaks apart easily and provides exceptional drainage. Vineyards in this region are at altitude typically 1,300 to 1,600 feet. Warm days and cool nights allow the grapes to ripen with bold flavors but still maintain their natural bright acidity. Aromas of spice, honey, citrus, and orange blossom are common with bold citrus, orange, and honey flavors. The best wines exhibit a silky mouthfeel similar to a Viogner but not as pronounced.
Reviews
2018 Terredora di Paolo Fiano di Avellino
DdV: 93
Price: $24.00
Blend: 100% Fiano
Source: Fiano Avelino DOCG, It.
This is a wonderfully complex and balanced wine with lemon blossom and spicy herbs on the nose. Bright pear, citrus, and nectarine flavors abound. Finish is long and crisp with hints of honey, spice, and hazelnut. Great now but has potential to gain nuance over the next few years.
2018 Clelia Romano Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino
DdV: 94
Price: $27.00
Blend: 100% Fiano
Source: Fiano Avellino DOCG, It.
Vibrant straw yellow in color. This is a truly fantastic wine and my favorite of all the wines sampled. Lemon peel, lime, and bright minerality on the nose with lush honey crisp apple, citrus, and pear flavors culminating in a long balanced finish. This wonderful effort exhibits all the hallmarks of great Avellino wines.
2019 Unti Vineyards Fiano
DdV: 93
Price: $28.00
Blend: 100% Fiano
Source: Dry Creek Valley – Sonoma County, Ca.
This wine is a perfect example of how Fiano wines can take on different characteristics depending on where they are sourced. Sonoma’s Dry Creek AVA is a great place to grow Fiano. Marine influenced foggy mornings, warm to hot afternoons and cooler nights allow the grapes to gain ripeness without losing balance. The gravelly and sandy loam soils in Dry Creek are perhaps closer in nature to the Greco di Tufa soils than to the volcanic soils found in Avellino, however the results are fantastic. On the nose honey, almond and bright citrus are predominant. Flavors of bright apple, pear, nectarine and citrus are most notable with a clean crisp finish. The minerality is not as pronounced as with its Avellino cousins but still makes its presence nicely.
2018 Fattoria La Rivolta Falanghina
DdV: 92
Price: $23.00
Blend: 100% Falanghina
Source: Falanghina del Sannio DOC, It.
Bright citrus with hints of star anise on the nose lead to crisp honey dew melon, lemon zest, and lime with a crisp clean finish with hints of honey. Great balance and minerality.
2017 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina
DdV: 89
Price: $17.00
Blend: 100% Falanghina
Source: Falanghina del Sannio DOC, It.
Aromas of orange blossom and spice lead into soft round flavors of pear and apple. Crisp minerality. Finish is a bit tight and short.
2018 Benito Ferrara Greco di Tufo Cicogna
DdV: 92
Price: $30.00
Blend: 100% Greco
Source: Greco di Tufo DOCG, It.
Semi sweet tangerine and spice on the nose. Full balanced flavors of bright citrus and taglio finishing with spice and honey. Silky mouth feel and clean minerality.
2017 Mastroberardino NovaSerra Greco di Tufo
DdV: 90
Price: $25.00
Blend: 100% Greco
Source: Greco di Tufo DOCG, It.
On the nose hints of almond, pear and sage. This wine is lighter bodied than the rest in the lineup but has nice flavors of peach, citrus, and pear. Finish is long with nectarine and mineral notes.
Food Pairing
These wonderful wines are not only great summer sippers but are very food friendly. Local Campania cuisine is geared toward fresh citrus, tomato, and herb flavors. Seafood, shellfish, octopus, poultry, and of course, pizza sing with these wines. We here in the Northern California wine country can’t easily obtain vegetables, seafood, and herbs harvested in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius but we can use our abundant local resources to create fantastic meals that pair perfectly with these wines. With that in mind, I have concocted a recipe that gives tribute to the beautiful Campania region. Pair this with any of the wines above and enjoy!
Capellini ai Frutti di Mare
Grilled seafood with angel hair pasta, lemon garlic clam sauce, honey lemon emulsion
A DdV Original Recipe
Serves 4
Shopping List
- 1 pound white fish (pick one: Atlantic or Pacific Cod, Sea Bass, Halibut)
- 16 large shrimp or prawns peeled deveined (4 shrimp each per plating)
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) angel hair pasta (can up to 3/4 pound of pasta if desired)
- Salt for pasta water
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- Red chili pepper flakes
- 1 6-ounce can minced clams (including the liquid)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lemon rind slices 2” wide
- Fresh parsley
- Butter
- Corn starch
- Garlic Power, Onion Powder, Ground Sea Salt, Dried lemon peal
- Freshly ground black pepper
- White pepper
Step 1: Honey lemon emulsion
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
Whisk together the honey and lemon juice in a bowl until completely combined. Continuing to whisk vigorously, add olive oil into the bowl until completely emulsified. Cover and set aside.
Step 2: Lemon garlic clam sauce
4 tbsp butter
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 1/2 tablespoons)
Pinch of red chili pepper flakes
Pinch of white pepper
1 6-ounce can minced clams (including the liquid)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp water
Lemon rind slices 2” wide
2 pinches of fresh parsley
Heat 3 Tbsp of butter in a sauce pan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and the red chili pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic is just on the edge of browning.
Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan. Open the can of clams and squeeze out the clam juice from the can into the pan. Add the lemon rinds. Raise the temperature to high and let boil and reduce about 30-40%.
Add the chopped clams and lemon zest and simmer. While the fish is cooking, make a roux with the corn starch and water. Bring heat up to high and add the roux stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Add the parsley and reduce heat to simmer.
Step 3: Cook Angel Hair Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 Tbsp of salt for every 2 quarts of water) and cook as directed on packaging.
Step 4: Cook the seafood
Clean and trim the fish removing any rough spots or scales.
Liberally sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, dried lemon peel and pepper on each side of the fish. Using hands or a spoon work the seasoning into the flesh.
Setup your BBQ for two zone cooking (one side hot, one cold). Thoroughly wipe the grate down with canola oil to avoid sticking. Target lid temp is 500 degrees. Grate should be very hot when ready to cook.
Melt ¼ stick of butter and baste one side of the fish and the shrimp.
Place the fish on the grill butter side down , cover and cook for about 2 minutes until the crust on the outside of the fish is a dark mahogany. You don’t want it black. Before turning, baste the fish with butter then flip. Cook for another 2 mins or so.
Move the fish to the cold side and cook (cover on) for another 4 or 5 minutes until fish is just about done. Note that times may vary depending on the thickness of the fish.
Place shrimp butter side down and grill about 2 minutes. Baste shrimp then turn and cook for another 2 minutes or so. You want nice grill marks and the shrimp to be pink and opaque.
Step 5: Plating
Drain pasta. Using tongs place a strand of pasta on the plate in a circle leaving a hole in the center of the plate. Use tongs to firm up your circle.
Chop the fish into 1 ½ to 2 inch chunks and place in the middle of the circle. Drizzle the emulsion on the fish.
Using a ladle, pour sauce onto the pasta then top with a shrimp on each side (4 in total)
Garnish with chopped parsley and parmesan.
Découvertes de Vin 