Campania

The region (Italian: Campania) with a total vineyard area of 41.129 hectares, with its capital of Naples, is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Italy. It is located in the deep south, on the Tyrrhenian coast. Greek settlers founded colonies here and in the neighbouring Calabria region around 1.000 BC, and called the region Oinotria. Later the Romans perfected wine-growing techniques, and called the area „Campania Felix“ (happy land), as the abundant sunshine as well as volcaninc and alluvial soils provided excellent conditions for the vine. Campania became famous for its wines, the best wines of ancient times in the Roman empire, such as Caecubian, Falernian and Surrentinian all came from the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, from Sorrento and from the islands of Capri and Ischia. The Roman writers and poets Horace, Pliny and Virgil all waxed lyrical on these wines. The city of Pompeii, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 BC, developed to being a centre of the wine trade, and was the main supplier of wine to Rome. Even in the 16th century, the wine chronicle of Sante Lacerino describes the wines from what was then the kingdom of Naples as the best in Italy. The fall of the “Kingdom of both Sicilies” in 1860 saw the beginning of a long decline, which is now slowly being reversed. The Mediterranean climate, influenced by the ocean close by, as well as the protection afforded by the mountains provide ideal conditions for wine-growing, mainly red wines are produced here. The red variety Aglianico, in particular, provides full-bodied, deeply coloured and aromatic red wines (particularly in the Avellino area). This grape is used to make the only DOCG wine in Campania, Taurasi. Other important and very old varieties are Asprinio, Biancolella, Coda di Volpe, Falanghina, Fiano, Forastera, Greco and Piedirosso. Only three per cent of total production is accounted for by DOC wines. More than half of these are made by the famous Mastroberardino family estate. The DOC regions in Campania are:

* Aglianico del Taburno and Taburno
* Aversa
* Campi Flegrei
* Capri
* Castel San Lorenzo
* Cilento
* Costa d´Amalfi
* Falerno del Massico
* Fiano di Avellino (DOCG)
* Galluccio
* Greco di Tufo (DOCG)
* Guardia Sanframondi
* Ischia
* Penisola Sorrentina
* Sannio
* Sant´Agata de´ Goti
* Solopaca
* Taurasi (DOCG)
* Vesuvio