Campania: An Overlooked Italian Wine Region Shaped by Fire
When people think of Italian wine, their minds often jump to Tuscany or Piedmont. Yet just south of Rome lies Campania, one of Italy’s most historic, and most overlooked, wine regions. Defined by volcanic soils, ancient grape varieties, and dramatic elevation, Campania offers wines that feel both timeless and startlingly fresh.
Home to appellations like Taurasi, Greco di Tufo, and Fiano di Avellino, particularly within the Irpinian subzone, this region quickly captures attention. But once you begin exploring, it becomes clear that Campania’s story is far deeper than its most famous names.
A Landscape Shaped by Volcanoes and Time
Campania’s vineyards are located in the historic Campania Apennines, stretching inland from the Tyrrhenian coast and sitting in the long shadow of Mount Vesuvius. This volcanic influence plays a defining role in the wines, contributing minerality, tension, and longevity.
Unlike many monoculture wine regions, Campania’s vineyards coexist harmoniously with fruit trees, olive groves, forests, and wild aromatic herbs, often growing on rolling hillsides or tucked into higher elevations. Many vines here are ancient and pre-phylloxera, surviving thanks to volcanic soils that resisted the pest that devastated much of Europe.
The result is a region of remarkable biodiversity, varied microclimates, and wines that feel deeply connected to place.
Indigenous Grapes at the Heart of Campania
Campania’s reputation rests largely on its native grape varieties, many of which have been cultivated since Roman times:
- Falanghina – Fresh yet textured, often floral and citrus-driven with volcanic minerality
- Fiano – Structured and age-worthy white with honeyed, nutty complexity
- Greco – Taut, mineral, and savory with remarkable intensity
-
Aglianico – Campania’s flagship red, powerful yet refined, often compared to Nebbiolo in structure and longevity
These grapes thrive in Campania’s challenging terrain, producing wines that reward patience and curiosity.
Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina 2022
Pronounced: fah-lahng-GEE-nah
Falanghina is one of southern Italy’s most expressive white grapes, and Feudi di San Gregorio has become one of its most respected ambassadors.
Tasting Notes:
Enticing aromas of lemon, honey, almond, and wildflowers lead the way, hinting at depth yet to come. The palate opens with a rich, lush mouthfeel, balanced by vibrant acidity and impressive structure. Layers of lemon, orange peel, peach, apple, honey, and wet stone unfold gracefully, drawing you back sip after sip. The mid-palate texture is especially compelling, finishing long and clean despite the wine’s richness.
This is a white wine that manages to be both generous and precise, with a lively, polished energy that makes it endlessly appealing.
Cellaring Potential:
Drinking beautifully now, with the ability to evolve gracefully for another 5 years, through 2030.
Food Pairings:
Grilled or fried fish, scallops, prawns, clams, squid, and shellfish. Tomato-based dishes shine here as well, think Neapolitan pizza, vegetable lasagna, or simple pasta with fresh herbs and olive oil.
Feudi di San Gregorio Rubrato Aglianico 2021
Often referred to as the “Barolo of the South,” Aglianico thrives in Campania’s volcanic soils, producing structured reds with remarkable depth and longevity.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of cassis, black licorice, and bramble, accented by subtle wildflower notes, draw you in immediately. The palate reveals layered flavors of blackberry, black currant, dark cherry, and licorice, followed by secondary notes of dark chocolate, spice, earthy underbrush, and a gentle hint of balsamic and chalky minerality on the finish.
Elegant tannins and balanced acidity give the wine poise, while a youthful energy carries through the texture and mouthfeel. A brief one-hour decant allows the wine to fully express its depth and nuance.
Cellaring Potential:
Enjoy now with air, or cellar confidently through 2035.
Food Pairings:
Red-meat-driven pastas and pizzas shine here. Pair with mushroom and meat lasagna, Neapolitan pizza, spaghetti puttanesca, or chicken cacciatore for a classic Campanian match.
Why Campania Belongs on Your Table
Campania offers something increasingly rare in today’s wine world: authenticity without artifice. These are wines shaped by ancient vines, volcanic soils, and generations of tradition, yet they remain accessible, food-friendly, and deeply expressive.
For wine lovers looking to explore beyond the familiar, Campania delivers whites with texture and longevity, reds with structure and soul, and a sense of place that feels unmistakable in every glass.
If you’re ready to discover a region where fire, history, and craftsmanship converge, Campania is waiting — quietly confident, and absolutely worth your attention.