A Sublime Italian White Wine

I needed a wine to accompany some take-out Chinese food the other evening and as I usually can’t go wrong with an aromatic white from Italy, I selected the 2008 Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino .

While I looked forward to seeing how this wine would pair with my Pork Subgum Chow Mein (subgum is with almonds and broccoli and it’s become my one of my favorites), I was especially curious about this particular wine, as the Italian wine publication Gambero Rosso had named this the “White Wine of the Year” in their recently published 2010 Italian Wines guide. Pretty daunting stuff!

Now in reality, how can you select one wine as the best white (or red or sparkling or dessert) of the year? You can argue for a dozen, perhaps even two dozen bottlings that could also earn that title. So while honoring one wine as the best isn’t a perfect situation, all you can ask is that the wine is truly something special.

This one really is. I love Campanian whites and I have to admit that over the past few years, I’ve been more enamored with Greco di Tufo than Fiano di Avellino, as the former tends to offer more subtleties, at least in the bottlings I’ve had. So it was nice to taste a Fiano that wasn’t overly ripe or lush, but still had plenty of varietal character as well as wonderful complexity.

Here are my tasting notes, as they will appear in the next issue of my Guide to Italian Wines:

Bright, light yellow with beautiful aromas of melon, Bosc pear, acaica honey and chamomile. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Rich, layered finish with outstanding persistence – almost fat. Vibrant acidity with prounced minerality in the finish. Outstanding fruit and superb winemaking combine to make this a first-rate Fiano di Avellino that is delicious now and will only improve for 3-5 years.

For such a wonderful white wine, I think the $26 retail price tag is very reasonable. This is a Marc de Grazia selection and there are various importers across the country. Needless to say, it may not be easy to find the wine, given the Gambero Rosso praise, but if it’s gone, wait a few months for the 2009 bottling.

In case you’re looking for something other than take-out Chinese food to pair with this or other bottlings of Fiano di Avellino, pasta with clams and/or mussels would be ideal as would cod, grouper or sea bass.


As well as a review of this wine, as well as some other whites from Campania (and Friuli), I'll also list my selections for the Best Italian Wines and Best Italian Producers of the Year. The subscription fee for one year of the guide is $30. If you only want this issue, the price is $10. For information on how to subscribe, click here.

Mastroberardino - Upholding Campanian Tradition

Detail of mural at Mastroberardino Winery, Atripalda

Photo by Tom Hyland

The wine industry of Campania is largely based on ancient varieties; modern methods of production are used, of course, but it is these grapes, first planted some 2000 years ago by Greek colonists, that are the foundation of this region’s visiticulture.

Some producers today use small French oak and/or harvest their grapes late in order to produce a riper, more deeply extracted style of wine. This, no doubt, an effort to make their wines seem relevant to a worldwide audience used to such offerings. Thankfully, some of Campania’s producers have resisted this approach, none more so than Mastroberardino, keeper of the flame of Campania’s wine heritage.

My recent visit in May to the winery and new estate vineyards strengthened this message for me, not that it needed any reinforcement. Mastroberardino is the classic winery of the Avellino province where three wines – two white, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino and one red, Taurasi – are the most famously recognized and heralded wines of the region. While a few dozen other estates make these wines, only a few offer the consistent excellence Mastroberardino displays each vintage. Certainly almost no other producer has their track record.

That’s fitting, as it was this family that arguably rescued these varieties from extinction. At the end of the Second World War, the area’s vineyards were in shambles, a result of Italy’s war economy. Antonio Mastroberardino, who was in charge of everyday operations at the winery throughout much of the latter part of the 20th century, worked with his father to preserve the ancient varieties at that time by taking the few cuttings that were left and propogated them, planting new selections in the area. Thanks to this work, Greco, Fiano, Aglianico (the primary red variety of Taurasi) and other varieties were saved, according to Piero Mastroberardino, Antonio’s son and today, president of the winery. “It was due to his great work that we can still drink these noble ancient wines from indigenous varieties,” he remarks.

Today, Mastroberardino continues to be one of the estates everyone looks to for these classic Campanian wines. Modern technology has entered the picture, but not at the expense of tradition. “We have maintained our traditions,” Antonio Mastroberardino told me a few years ago at the winery.

During my recent trip, I tasted the new releases at the winery in Atripalda and stayed at the company’s beautiful estate called Radici Resort in the small village of Mirabella Eclano, about a 20 minute drive from the winery. This resort is less than two years old and is open to the public; they can reserve a room or simply dine at the beautifully appointed Morabianca restaurant, which features excellent regional cuisine as well as an impressive wine list. There is even a nine-hole golf course, which winds its way through Aglianico and Falanghina vineyards (I managed to get in a quick round with Piero one morning).

This estate is one of the important vineyard holdings of Mastroberardino, as their special Taurasi bottling called Naturalis Historia is produced from older vines here, while their new cru bottling of Falanghina called Morabianca is made from an impressively sited vineyard behind the Aglianico. Mastroberardino has decided to work in greater depth with Falanghina and the results show in the new 2008 Morabianca bottling, which offers lovely aromatics of quince, pear and acacia backed by beautifl texture and acidity. This is a lovely wine with a variety of foods, from local shellfish to risotto with vegetables or braised chicken.

Other highlights included:

2008 Greco di Tufo “Nova Serra”
This is the winery’s finest selection of Greco grapes; this has excellent depth of fruit and beautiful floral, pear and lime aromatics. The winery made several impressive white wines in 2008 – this is outstanding. Grab some before this limited production wine disappears!

2008 Fiano di Avellino “Radici”
This is slightly richer on the palate than the preceding wine with impressive aromas of lemon oil, honey and kiwi. Medium-full, this has a long, rich finish with excellent acidity.

2007 Aglianico (Campania IGT)
This is an Aglianico that has not been aged long enough to be called Taurasi; it is also lighter on the palate. It is an excellent introduction to the bitter chocolate and black cherry flavors of this variety and is delicious now and should drink well for another 2-3 years. At less than $20, this is a very good value.

2005 Taurasi “Radici”
Radici means “roots,” referring to the Campanian heritage that Mastroberardino upholds with their wines. Taurasi is the most celebrated red of the area; this is made with 100% Aglianico and is medium-full with elegant tannins and precise acidity. This is aged in small French oak barrels as well as the large Slavonian casks, but you don’t notice the wood. A bit lighter than 2004, which was a great year, this is a notable example of the style and consistency of the producer.

Piero Mastroberardino

Photo ©Tom Hyland

After my round of golf with Piero, I interviewed him, focusing on the responsibilites he faces and the need for constant improvement. “My work as head of this winery is all about taking the family values to a higher level. This is about cultural and social values.”

He also emphasized that while he works with ancient varieties, the Campanian wine industry combines the old with the new, as evidenced by the use of the most modern equipment in the cellar as well as recent research of new clones of Greco, Fiano and Falanghina.

How nice that Piero Mastroberardino continues to represent the roots of his family’s beliefs about local wines. “We work in the continuity, the roots and history of this terroir.” Nicely said and as you will taste in their new releases, nicely done.

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One final note that has nothing to do with wine, but as I mentioned golf in this post, I wanted to comment on a wonderful golf event that just ended. At the U.S. Open, the drama was superb as always with things going down to the last hole. So many people wanted Phil Mickelson to win, not only as he's never won this event, but also for the timing, as his wife Amy will be undergoing treatment for breast cancer (Phil, I was pulling for you as well). It's really a tribute to him that he did so well, tying for second, given everything he's gone through with his wife's condition and the fact that he hasn't played much competitive golf as of late.

But for me an equally compelling story was that of David Duval. Here's a guy that was number one in the world about ten years ago; over the past eight years (the last time he won a tournament), his game has slipped so badly that he was ranked #882 in the world coming into the U.S. Open. What in the world is a guy like that doing challenging for the championship?

Duval actually was tied for the lead as he stood on the tee at the 71st hole, though Lucas Glover birdied the 70th hole to take the lead he would not relinquish. So Duval, who also tied for second (with Mickelson and Ricky Barnes) came up a little short. But what an effort he put forth!

He's been quoted as never being a quitter and boy, did he prove that! His story should be a lesson to all of us that no matter how bleak things look, stay with it and things will improve. I know I'll take that out of his week.

In a wonderful interview just after he completed his final round, NBC commentator Jimmy Roberts asked Duval if as a sports fan himself, did he appreciate his story? Duval said that people like to identify with people that are down instead of guys like Michael Jordan, Le Bron James and Tiger Woods, who are one in a million. "A lot of us get kicked around a lot," Duval remarked. Amen to that, David! If the guy never does anything else this year on the golf course, his story this week was an inspiration to all of us.

Vitigno Italia - Highlights from Campania

Castel dell'Ovo, host to Vitigno Italia

Text and all photos ©Tom Hyland


In mid-May, I headed down to Napoli for a excellent wine show called Vitigno Italia. While there are several dozen wine fairs in Italy throughout the year, this one is special, as it is dedicated solely to wines made from indigenous Italian varieties. So while you won’t find any examples of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Chardonnay here, you will be able to taste some glorious wines made from Greco, Fiano, Aglianico, Nero d’Avola and hundreds of other local varieties.

I attended this event three years ago when it was held in a modern, efficient campus on the outskirts of Napoli. I enjoyed it then, but this year the show was on a much grander scale as more wineries participated; primarily a showcase for wine estates of the south and especially Campania in its first few years, there are now more exhibiting wineries from other regions of Italy, including Friuli, Marche, Veneto and Tuscany.

A big change this year was the fair’s new locale, the historic Castel dell’Ovo right on the shores of the Gulf of Napoli. Not only was this more convenient for most importers and journalists attending the fair, this was also an important change for the overall goal of the fair, founder Chicco de Pasquale. The evening before the event began, de Pasquale gave a number of us a pep talk as he told us how important it was to communicate the emotion of authentic Italian wines. He mentioned how he had traveled to many other parts of the world and had tasted the local wines, only to find so many of them tasting the same. He believed that if the message of the uniqueness and history of Italian wines was to come across, the fair needed to be in a historic venue. Comparing the old location with the new, it is clear that de Pasquale succeeded in his quest. Not only was this a more appropriate setting to taste these wines, it was also a slice of everyday life in Napoli –a nice side benefit!

As this is still an event that focuses on Campanian wines – and as these are among my favorite of all Italian wines – I will focus on some of the best I tasted at the fair. Let’s start with Terredora, a great family estate owned by Paolo and Lucio Mastroberardino. One of Avellino’s most consistent estates, they delivered again with their new 2008 whites. This is an excellent vintage, a bit lighter than 2007, but with fine depth of fruit and beautiful structure; highly recommened are their new bottlings of Greco di Tufo “Loggia della Serra” and Fiano di Avellino “Terre di Dora.” (Vias is the national importer.) Another winery in this area that offered beautiful whites was Villa Raiano, with a lovely aromatic 2008 Greco di Tufo and a stylish 2008 Falanghina with pinpoint acidity.

Continuing with wineries from the province of Avellino, Feudi di San Gregorio is always one of the estates I look to for monitoring this area’s quality. Among their best releases this year are the 2008 Greco di Tufo “Cutizzi,” with a nice touch of minerality to go with its gorgeous aromas of acacia and kiwi and the 2007 Campanaro, a blend of Fiano and Greco that is an oustanding white with great concentration, lush fruit and a rich, lengthy finish. This is a white that will drink well with all sorts of seafood for 5-7 years. (Palm Bay is the national importer.)

Vinosia is an ambitious project near Avellino founded by brothers Mario and Luciano Ercolino, formerly of Feudi di San Gregorio. They produce more than a dozen wines and I like just about every one, in particular the 2008 Falanghina, the 2008 Greco di Tufo and the the 2002 Taurasi Riserva, one of the best examples of this wine from a less than outstanding vintage. I also loved two reds for their price/quality relationship, the 2008 Negroamaro from Salento and the 2008 Aglianico (Irpinia DOC). Both of these wines are rich, ripe and in a word – delicious! The former wine retails for about $12 with the Aglianico selling for $14 on average. How nice to see such quality wines as this for such reasonable pricing! (These two wines will be arriving soon in the United States and are imported by Domaine Select.)

Mario Ercolino, winemaker, Vinosia

I also tasted wines from several estates in the province of Salento, just south of Napoli. One of this area’s great producers is Luigi Maffini, who specializes in Fiano; the 2008 Kratos sports lovely aromas of pear and acacia and has the structure to age for 3-5 years, while the barrel fermented Pietraincatenata from 2007 is deeper in color with notes of honey and almond with a light touch of minerality. His best wine at this event for me was the 2004 Fiano Passito, an incredible dessert wine with such wonderful concentration and such lush fruit, yet so incredibly delicate. This is truly one of the very best examples of a passito wine I’ve tasted from Italy!

From the Amalfi Coast, three excellent producers: Tenuta San Francesco, with a beautiful 2008 white, blended from local varieties Biancolella, Falanghina and Peppella along with an excellent blended red called Quattro Spine, made from Aglianico, Piedirosso and Tintore. From Giuseppe Apicella (imported by Wine Emporium in Brooklyn), several first-rate efforts including the 2008 Tramonti Bianco, named for the town where his vineyards and estate are located; one of my favorites examples of rosé (rosato) from Italy – the 2008 is made from Piedirosso and Sciacinoso and is dry and very rich – and his signature wine, the A’Sciappata Rosso. This was the 2004 release; a blend of Tintore and Piedirosso, this offers excellent concentration with black fruit and tar notes, firm tannins and beautiful acidity. This is a great representation of local terroir; it should offer drinking pleasure for 10-12 years.

Andrea Ferraioli, winemaker, Cantine Marisa Cuomo

The final Amalfi Coast producer whose wines I tasted was Cantine Marisa Cuomo. Marisa and her husband Andrea Ferraoili have been blazing viticultural trails in the Amalfi Coast for several years and their efforts have been recognized in local and international media. Everything they make – red, white and rosé - is first-rate and a few of their wines are outstanding. Particularly good this year are the 2008 Ravello Bianco, the 2008 Furore Rosso (Furore is the gorgeous coastal town where their estate vineyards and winery are located) and the 2005 Ravello Riserva. This last wine is a blend of 70% Piedirosso and 30% Aglianico, giving this wine great complexity, spice and structure. The dominant Piedirosso means this wine is approachable now, while the tannins of the Aglianico give this wine the means to age for 7-10 years more.

Their best wine – and one of Italy’s most famous whites – is the Fiorduva, this new example from the outstanding 2007 vintage. Produced from Amalfi Coast varieties, Ripole, Fenile and Ginestra and aged in barrique - the wine has enough concentration to stand up to the oak - this wine has it all: exotic aromas of banana and other tropical fruits, beautiful texture and great persistence in the finish. This has vibrant acidity and a light nuttiness on the finish; look for this wine to be at its peak in another 5-7 years, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see it age longer than that. (Panebianco in New York is the importer.)

Vines at Furore, Amalfi Coast

Two other recommended wineries, La Sibilla, from the Campi Flegrei DOC along the coast north of Napoli and Fontanavecchia from the Benevento province to the north and east. Owner Luigi di Meo specializes in Falanghina at La Sibilla; his regular 2007 bottling has the trademark vibrant acidity of this variety with attractive lemon zest aromas and no oak, while the cru bottling, Cruna deLago, also from 2007, is a robust Falanghina that takes things up a notch or two with explosive aromas of spearmint and thyme and a lengthy finish with loads of fruit – again no oak, but nine months of lees aging for a spectacular result! (Oliver McCrum in Oakland imports the wines of La Sibilla.)

Finally, Fontanavecchia is a specialist of Aglianico del Taburno. The wines made here are ripe and robust, yet always well balanced. The regular bottling from 2005 is quite elegant and is priced at less than $20 on American retail shelves, while the Vigna Cataratte Riserva from 2003 is full of the black fruit, mint and tobacco notes that makes these wines so distinct. Look for this wine to be at its best in 7-10 years. Finally, the Grave Mora, the best wine of the Rillo family that runs this estate, is explosive with deep concentration and excellent complexity. The new release from 2004 will be at peak in 10-12 years - what a fine choice with rich game or aged cheeses. (Wine Emporium in Brooklyn in the importer.)

That’s just a few of the wines I tasted at Vitigno Italia – and that was just Campania. Congratulations to Chicco de Pasquale and his staff for organizing such a excellent event!