| If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, | | | | Then try Branzino all 'Acqua Pazz', Sea Bass in |
| consider the Campania region of southern Italy. | | | | 'Crazy Water'. |
| You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll | | | | And for dessert, indulge yourself with Coviglie al |
| have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour. | | | | Caffè, Coffeee Custard and Ladyfingers. |
| Campania is the shin of the Italian boot. It is | | | | OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have |
| located in the southwestern Italy on the | | | | communicated with well over a thousand Italian |
| Tyrrhenian Sea. Its total population is about 5.8 | | | | wine producers and merchants to help prepare |
| million, making it the second most heavily | | | | these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we |
| populated region of Italy. | | | | taste and review are purchased at the full retail |
| Campania's best-known city is its administrative | | | | price. |
| center, Naples, once glorified by the phrase "See | | | | Wine Reviewed |
| Naples and Die," which referred to its beauty and | | | | Mastoberardino Radici 'Fiano di Avellino' DOCG 12.0 |
| not its high crime rate. Other well-known cities | | | | % alcohol about $20 |
| include Sorrento, a playground of the jet set, and | | | | When you see a green band on an Italian white |
| Pompeii, destroyed by Mount Vesuvius about two | | | | wine bottle, you have a DOCG wine, Italy's top of |
| thousand years ago. | | | | the line classification. |
| Campania devotes about 100,000 acres to | | | | Mastoberardino is the largest and best known |
| grapevines; it ranks 9th among the 20 Italian | | | | producer in southern Italy. Fiano di Avellino is an |
| regions. Its total annual wine production is about | | | | indigenous white grape variety. They came |
| 52 million gallons, also giving it a 9th place. About | | | | together in an excellent wine. |
| 64% of the wine production is red or | | | | The wine had a beautiful straw color. I found it to |
| rosé (a bit of rosé), leaving 36% | | | | be delicate yet complex and elegant, not the least |
| for white. The region produces 17 DOC wines and | | | | bit thin. At the first pairing it held up to spicy |
| one DOCG wine, Taurasi, one of the two DOCG | | | | barbequed chicken and barbequed eggplant slices. |
| wines produced in southern Italy. DOC stands for | | | | Among the many flavors, it was spicy and |
| Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may | | | | smoky. |
| be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, | | | | The next pairing was with whole wheat pasta and |
| presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG | | | | chicken meat balls in a peppery tomato sauce. |
| stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no | | | | Here the wine took on a floral character. |
| guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Only | | | | I would have loved to taste this wine with the |
| 2.8% of Campania wine carries the DOC | | | | Mozzarella di Bufala Campana (Water-Buffalo |
| designation. Campania is home to almost three | | | | Mozzarella cheese) described in my article "I Love |
| dozen major and secondary grape varieties, with | | | | Italian Wine and Cheese - The Latium Region" but |
| a few more white varieties than red ones. | | | | it is not sold in my city. I had to settle for |
| Campania is not a major producer of international | | | | Pecorino Sardo, a nutty cheese made in Sardinia, |
| white grape varieties. Common Italian white | | | | an island almost directly west of Campagnia. In |
| varieties include Falanghina, Fiano, Greco, and Coda | | | | the presence of the cheese the wine became |
| di Volpe. | | | | almost unctuous. |
| Campania is not a major producer of international | | | | I really feel that this wine deserved its top of the |
| red grape varieties.The best known Italian red | | | | line designation. The best white wines often come |
| variety is Aglianico, best expressed in the DOCG | | | | from cold climates such as Germany and northern |
| wine, Taurasi, and Piedirosso. | | | | France. Who would have thought that such a fine |
| Before we reviewing the Campania wine and | | | | white wine could come from sun-baked southern |
| cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase | | | | Italy? The neighboring woods and eighteen |
| at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, | | | | hundred foot elevation of Avellino are certainly an |
| here are a few suggestions of what to eat with | | | | essential part of the final product, well worth the |
| indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. | | | | $20, which is more than I usually spend on a wine |
| Start with Scialatielli alle Vongole, Herbed Pasta | | | | bottle. |
| with Clams, Garlic, and Cherry Tomatoes. | | | | |