BASILICATA

Location

The instep of the Italian boot, the centre of Southern Italy. The capital is Potenza but the most important winemaking happens around the extinct volcano of Vulture, inland towards Puglia. It is a land often neglected by both tourists and the Italian Government but is one of the last places in Italy where you can really feel life before the modern age.

Climate

Hot summers and bitterly cold winters, inland. Around Vulture the harvests are one of the latest in Italy, combined with huge temperature differences between day and night, is probably the secret to this DOC's famed quality

Topography

The tail of the Apennines characterises Basilicata, rocky, mountainous with various valleys leading to the Mediterranean, some lush and green, some arid and abandoned depending on the presence, or lack of water.

Soils

Is rich and full of minerals due to the underlying volcanic rock. Some areas particularly suited to winegrowing because of its steep slopes and thin soils.

Production

less than 500,000 HL

 
                                                                                                                                                                                              Abruzzo        Basilicata        Calabria        Campania        Emilia-Romagna        Friuli-VeneziaGiulia        Lazio        Liguria        Lombardia        Marche        Molise        Piemonte        Puglia        Sardegna        Sicilia        Toscana        Trentino-AltoAdige        Umbria        Valled'Aosta        Veneto                                     

Our producers

Arteteke

Cantina di Venosa

Grapes

  • Description

    One of the 3 noble Italian grapes (others Nebbiolo and Sangiovese) but perhaps the least understood and exhaulted. Some say derived from the word "Hellenicum" (from Greece) others say Gauranico which was a type of Falernian, according to Pliny. Both Campania and Basilicata dispute its real home, but in realty the two grape growing areas are very close and can be considered one large area, both high in altitude and with volcanic soils. Medium thick skin resists Botrytis well into the Autumn (very late for a hot climate) and developing wonderful complexity with cool nights and warm days. Tendency to high levels of tannins and acids, giving it good ageing potential.

    Principle Wines

    Aglianico del Vulture

  • Description

    See Campania

    Principle Wines

    See Campania

  • Description

    See Tuscany

    Principle Wines

    See Tuscany

  • Description

    See International

    Principle Wines

    See International

  • Description

    See Puglia

    Principle Wines

    See Puglia

  • Description

    See Tuscany

    Principle Wines

    See Tuscany

Major Appellations DOCG/DOC

  • Description

    Aglianico derives from Hellenic meaning from Greece. It is arguably the South's only noble grape and consequent wine of world class quality. Very distictive in flavour: black pepper, mature black fruit with high levels of tannin and acid. Vulture is the name of the extinct Volcano around which many of the vineyards lie – awesome landscapes.

    Principle Wines

    Aglianico

  • Description

    A recent multi DOC making blends and varietal wines of the above grapes. Not the prestige of Vulture but it does have the flexibilty to make various styles. "Moro" is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and local red varieties. Matera is a historic town near the Puglian border famous for its recent cave dwellings in a massive ravine.

    Principle Wines

    Malvasia Bianca, Greco, Aglianico, Primitivo, Sangiovese

  • Description

    Situated on the Campanian order, the vineyards are up to 800m. The styles are mostly blends of international and local varieties

    Principle Wines

    Merlot, Cabernet, Aglianico

Sub Appellations DOCG/DOC

  • Grottino di Roccanova
    Basilicata