Campania

Viticulture in Campania has ancient origins, with clear evidence from the Roman period. It is, however, to the Greeks that we owe the introduction of the vine in southern Italy: the Romans then picked up this legacy and introduced new and more efficient production techniques. From Pompeii, wine from Campania reached all corners of the Empire.

With the Middle Ages, wine-growing in Campania went through one of its darkest periods and it was only from the 1970s onwards that producers decided to focus on the rediscovery of indigenous grapes, resulting in interesting, high-quality wines.

Campania's production (around 1,700,000 hl per year obtained from over 24,000 ha of vineyards) is favoured by climatic conditions that range from a mild, dry and windy climate on the coasts to a generally continental and cooler climate inland.

Among the best known and most renowned grape varieties in the region, Falanghina, Fiano, Greco, Biancolella, Piedirosso and Casavecchia are worth mentioning. Two "imported" grape varieties (Sangiovese and Barbera) have been enjoying success in recent years. In terms of appellations, Campania boasts four DOCGs (Taurasi, Fiano di Avellino, Taburno and Greco di Tufo), fourteen DOCs (including Ischia, Capri, Penisola Sorrentina and Costa d'Amalfi) and no less than ten IGTs.

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