07 August 2023

20, 20 and 30 years. 2023 marks the anniversary of the three most important DOCGs of Irpinia (Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino and Taurasi): the pride of Southern Italy and of the Tenute Capaldo Group – Feudi di San Gregorio, which has believed in these varieties right from the start.

Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino are both celebrating their 20th anniversary. They started as DOCs (Denominazione di origine controllata) in 1970 and became DOCGs (Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita, the highest rank in the qualitative pyramid of Italian wine) in 2003.  

It’s also a milestone for Taurasi, which became a DOC in 1970 and a DOCG on 11 Marche 1993. Taurasi was the first recognized DOCG in Southern Italy for the grape variety’s ancient history (Aglianico was imported from the Greek colonies in VII and VI BC), as well as its rich expressiveness and aging potential: today, Taurasi DOCG is undoubtedly one of the most important red wines of Italy. The Taurasi denomination – and the enological quality expressed by its producers – has certainly been the soul of Irpinia’s rural renaissance: a development model that led the territory towards a socio-economic resurgence thanks to its agri-food excellence. Taurasi’s “birthday” was celebrated last March 25-26 in the city that inspired the denomination’s name, at Castello Marchionale, which houses the Enoteca regionale per i Vini dell’Irpinia. 

GRECO DI TUFO DOCG AND FEUDI 

Feudi is undoubtedly one of the leading producers of Greco di Tufo, the most important white wine of Irpinia and one of the most renowned in Italy. The variety was probably planted for the first time around the VI-VII century B.C. by the Greek settlers who found in the hills of Irpinia the ideal home for this grape. Today, the DOCG includes eight municipalities in the province of Avellino, distributed around the town of Tufo. These are «high» vineyards located on hills ranging from 400 to 800 meters in altitude, within an ecosystem rich in water, forests and cultivated fields: an extraordinary natural amphitheater that now offers relaxing trails for hiking, e-bike or horseback riding. Greco grapes yield a wine of great personality and longevity. The chalky soils of Tufo endow the wine with pronounced minerality, freshness and persistence, allowing Greco to compete with outstanding international white wines.  

Feudi di San Gregorio is the largest Italian producer of Greco di Tufo and has been enhancing this grape variety for over 30 years, showcasing various interpretations: Goleto Greco di Tufo DOCG Riserva named after the 12th-century abbey of the same name; Cutizzi Greco di Tufo DOCG grown in one of the most expressive vineyards of the denomination; and Greco di Tufo DOCG, the «base» version aged in stainless steel.  

FIANO DI AVELLINO DOCG

An ancient vine cultivated in Campania, Fiano was known to the Romans as Vitis Apiana. The Fiano di Avellino denomination is the largest among the DOCGs of Irpinia by geographical extension, but it has the smallest vineyard area: it includes 26 towns that can be 40 km apart with small and rather scattered plots, making it a “rarer” wine compared to Greco di Tufo and Taurasi. At the same time, Fiano’s expressive potential is embodied by an incredibly radiant wine that distinctly and evidently reflects the peculiar characteristics of the soils where it is grown.  

Under the Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Feudi di San Gregorio vinifies Campanaro, a Riserva that is aged in tonneau for about 6 months; Pietracalda, a Fiano di Avellino DOCG that ages in contact with the lees for 4-5 months with the performance of continuous bâtonnage; and Fiano di Avellino, the classic expression of this variety, exclusively aged in stainless steel tanks. 

TAURASI DOCG

Taurasi comes from Aglianico, Southern Italy’s most important red grape. The first traces of the vine date back to the VI-VII century BC, when it was brought to Italy by Greek settlers. The grape’s name recalls its origins: form «Ellenico», which then became «Aglianico». Taurasi’s notoriety skyrocketed following the phylloxera epidemic, which almost completely destroyed vineyards in Europe at the beginning of the 1900s, with the exception of this territory. Taurasi was so widely exported that it greatly influenced the territory’s economy, as proven by the construction of Irpinia’s first railroad, called «wine railway». Today, the production area includes seventeen towns in the province of Avellino, a hilly territory with a long and consolidated wine tradition. In order to be classified as «Taurasi», the wine must be composed of at least 85% Aglianico grapes and undergo an aging period of 3 years (5 for Riserva), of which at least one in wooden barrels.  

Feudi di San Gregorio pays particular attention to the enhancement of Taurasi also through research and zoning projects like Patriarchi, a pre-phylloxera vineyard of more than a hundred years old situated in Taurasi that has allowed to discover and protect ancient specimens of Aglianico.  

Feudi produces various Taurasi DOCG labels: Piano di Montevergine (Taurasi DOCG Riserva aged for 18-24 in wood) and Taurasi DOCG (100% Aglianico aged for about 18 months in French oak barriques). A recent release is Gulielmus Taurasi Riserva DOCG, a single vineyard wine produced under the Tenute Capaldo brand that embodies the family’s bond with the territory.