Molise

Small wine-growing region in the provinces of Campobasso and Isernia in central Italy. It has a total vineyard area of 7.650 hectares, making it the third smallest wine-growing region in Italy, after the Aosta Valley and Liguria. The regional capital is Campobasso. The name Molise is said to refer back to an aristocratic family in medieval times. The region is located in central Italy on the Adriatic coast, it borders on the Abbruzzi region in the north, and Apulia in the south. Wine is grown in the hills of the Sannio mountains up to an altitude of 600 metres above sea level. The vineyards are extremely fragmented, with around 90% of the vineyards having an extent of less than half a hectare, and with only two estates larger than 20 hectares. By far the most important estate, which also has an international reputation, is „Di Majo Norante“ in Campomarino, with a vineyard area of around 60 hectares. The most widely planted red varieties are Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Aglianico, the leading white varieties are Trebbiano Toscano, Bombino Bianco and Malvasia del Chianti. There are also still small amounts of ancient indigenous grape varieties that are not even reflected in the statistics. The temperate climate ensures relatively high yields. Most of the wines are IGT´s or VdT´s made from Montepulciano and Aglianico. There are only 3 DOC zones, which together account for less than 5 per cent of production; they are Biferno, Del Molise and Pentro di Isernia.