Aglianico is one of the world’s greatest red wine grapes, and it is still one of Italy’s most underappreciated. Aglianico often fails to get proper recognition among those fully immersed in Italian wine. If it struggles for recognition even among Italian wine devotees, imagine its standing everywhere else.
Aglianico is widely considered to be one of the country’s oldest varieties. The traditional story has it arriving in southern Italy with Greek colonists around the eighth century BC. That’s a good tale, but the evidence tells a different story. Much of this tale seems to rest on the old idea that it comes from the Latin vitis hellenica, or “Greek vine.” This falls apart when you realize that the ancient Romans did not refer to the Greeks as Hellenic; rather, they used the term Graecus. Contemporary DNA work also supports this, as it has not tied Aglianico closely to any Greek varieties. It is far more likely that Aglianico is native to Campania, cultivated over the centuries by Etruscans, Greeks, and later the Aragonese — modern Aragon in Spain. Some believe the Spanish/Aragonese named Aglianico, but that is hotly debated. The Greeks called Campania Enotria (or Oenotria), meaning “the land of vines.” Yes, the Greeks brought many grape varieties to the Italian peninsula and Sicily, but they also knew when something good was already happening. While the origins may be disputed (I consider it a native grape), nobody disputes the wine: dark, savory, structured, and built to last.
Aglianico — A Demanding Vine and Grape
Aglianico is a demanding vine. It does best on elevated, well-drained sites, especially volcanic soils. Aglianico is naturally vigorous — planting at elevation helps curb yields, and the best producers intervene via green harvesting and dense plantings. It buds early and ripens very late (it’s not uncommon for harvests in Taurasi to take place in November), so it needs a long, dry season to reach full physiological ripeness. Extended time on the vine develops complex flavors and allows the grape’s thick skins to mature as well. Even when sugars rise in the fruit, Aglianico wants to keep its naturally high acidity, which acts as the perfect foil for its relatively high alcohol levels and aids the wine’s development in the bottle. Aglianico needs time and patience.
Aglianico — Where It’s Made
Today, Aglianico grows mainly in Campania and neighboring Basilicata, with smaller plantings elsewhere in the south and a handful of New World experiments. In Campania, Aglianico is the backbone of the mainland’s red wines — every DOC that permits red grapes on the mainland uses it, while white-only appellations such as Aversa DOC, Fiano di Avellino DOCG, and Greco di Tufo DOCG are the exceptions. The same holds true for Basilicata, whose four DOC and sole DOCG wines rely on or permit Aglianico. Among these appellations in Campania and Basilicata, the three DOCG wines stand out. In Campania, Aglianico del Taburno DOCG and Taurasi DOCG are both inland zones that require at least 85% Aglianico, while most producers use 100% of the variety. Aglianico del Taburno also makes a small quantity of beautiful rosé (rosato) wine that rarely leaves the region. It’s fresh red fruit, still firm, drink it while the reds are still sulking. Basilicata’s Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG is a vastly undervalued wine made on the slopes of the extinct Mount Vulture volcano (last active roughly 40,000 years ago — you’re safe). Each of these three stellar wines has its own accent. These are tendencies, not commandments (altitude, soil, vintage, extraction, and oak can all change the picture), but they’re useful. Taurasi is usually the most structured and age-worthy, with dense tannins, dark fruit, earth, and a savory, sometimes smoky edge. Aglianico del Vulture tends to be more open and fruit-driven, with sour cherry, plum, spice, and minerality laid over a solid structure. Aglianico del Taburno can be the most aromatic and lively of the three, with dark fruit, bright acidity, and a volcanic mineral snap.
Aglianico — In the Glass
In the glass, Aglianico is typically deep-colored and full-bodied. Expect black cherry, plum, blackberry, violet, leather, dried herbs, licorice, tobacco, wild game, black pepper, and baking spices. Acidity supplies the energy; tannin supplies the frame. Young bottles can be muscular and tightly wound. With time, the tannins soften, and the wine moves toward earth, leather, forest floor, dried fruit, and savory spice. Traditional Aglianico is built for patience. Some contemporary versions can be lighter, fruitier, and ready for quick consumption.
In sum, this is why Aglianico is often called the “Barolo of the South“: a savory, structured wine that gives pleasure now and far more later. Of course, this is as accurate as calling Franciacorta the Champagne of Italy. It’s a comparison used to signal quality quickly, but the story runs deeper. It is not a copy of Nebbiolo, or of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Sangiovese, but if you love any of them, Aglianico belongs in your glass and in your cellar. Its acidity and tannin make it a natural partner for grilled or braised beef, lamb, venison, sausages, roast pork, rich pasta, and aged cheeses such as Pecorino or Parmigiano. Aglianico del Vulture often requires the least patience, with seven years in the bottle enough to reveal its treasures, generally followed by Aglianico del Taburno and finally Taurasi, which often refuses to play nice until its tenth birthday and beyond.
Seek Aglianico out — then be patient.
Do you want to better understand Italian wine? May we suggest Be A Beverage Expert (BABE), a guide to understanding wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails.