Wine Tour in Irpinia

 The green Irpinia surely represents one of the most important places within the Campania region in terms of vine cultivation and production of high-quality wines, famous all around the world. The local wine culture is undoubtfully due to a very old tradition, enriched in modern agricultural and transformational techniques, which is the real strength of these inimitable wines.

Our itinerary must start from Avellino, the heart of Irpinia, located into a lovely green valley, rich in vineyards, at the foot of Montevergine, the most famous and important mountain of the Partenio regional park. Arrived in Avellino, do not miss the splendid Museo Irpino that preserves a rich collection of archaeological findings and witnesses of the Prehistorical, Samnite and Roman Irpinia. Visit the majestic dome, too, with neoclassical style marked by the large level surfaces squared in yellow marble from Gesualdo caves. Most of all in Avellino you cannot miss the optimum Fiano: an excellent brilliant pale straw, sec, medium bodied, harmonic wine. Grapes: Fiano (85% minimum), Greco, Coda di Volpe bianca and/or Trebbiano (15% maximum), to be served at 8°C. Fiano di Avellino is perfect to accompany refined starters with caviar, oysters and sea food; thinly sliced raw fish, seasoned with olive oil and pepper; fish soups; if aged, it is just great with goat and semi-hard cheeses.

Our next stop will be Tufo (50,3 Km from Salerno – 53,7 Km from Caserta): located into Valle del Sabato, this pretty village is famous all around the world to be the native place of a wine called Greco di Tufo DOC. It is an high-quality wine, well-known in Italy as well as abroad, produced with the grapes of "Vitigno Greco". The Pelasgians (populations that preceded the Hellenes in Greece) spread this delicious vine in the province of Naples first, on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, and subsequently in some zones of the province of Avellino, specially Tufo. The soil in Tufo is rich in sulfur and other minerals that make it so suitable for such a kind of vine.

Greco di Tufo is a sec wine, delightful with fish based starters; cold dishes; fried fish; oysters, lobsters and shellfish, but even great with traditional desserts. It must be served at a temperature of 8-10 °C, characterized by a pleasant smell, light taste, dry, straw-yellow to golden coloured; minimum alcoholic content 12,0; minimum total acidity 5,0 g/l. Greco di Tufo is celebrated during the Tufo Greco Festival, every year in September. This event would be just a perfect occasion to taste the wine accompanied by the most greedy traditional dishes of Irpinia.

A lovely walk in Tufo could not leave a visit to the stunning castle out of consideration: the castle is situated on top of the hill that houses the original village. At the time of its ancient splendor Tufo was inhabited by the court of Del Tufo, the vavasours that used to govern the country in the name of the emperor and his court. After delighting a lovely glass of Greco di Tufo, do not miss to visit Taurasi, small village of Irpinia, renowned for the homonym wine.

The Taurasi is one of the best-quality wines in the South of Italy and, as many other wines coming from the south, it has early-Roman origins: Aglianico, the main species of vine used to produce this wine , was once known as "hellenico" or "hellenica", to mark the Greek origins.

The wine must undergo a period of aging of three years minimum, and at least one year into a wooden cask.