Basilicata Italy Wine Notes — 17/06/2008

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Like Puglia and Calabria, Basilicata was part of Magna Graeca. In the middle ages, prior to falling under the Normans, it belonged to the Byzantine Empire and its name still reflects that, ie that it belonged to the Byzantine Emperor or ‘Basileus’.

Like the rest of the South, it has been poverty stricken for centuries, with earthquakes adding to the malaise. Now it is very much a rural backwater, albeit one of astonishing natural beauty.

The winters can be very cold, with snow in places such as Potenza, which lays at over 800m and is often cited as the coldest city in Italy.

The entire region consists of uplands, with 47% mountains and a further 45 % hills. Most vineyards are around the extinct volcano of Mount Vulture on volcanic soils. These high vineyards provide very interesting growing conditions for quality grapes with good sunlight through the growing season and cool temperatures towards harvest.

Undoubtedly there is good potential here but there is little infrastructure and a shortage of good wineries.

Vines

Aglianico: The name is a corruption of Hellenico and thus it was always thought to have been brought to the region by the Greeks. However recent studies suggest it might have been introduced by the Aragonese in the late middle ages.

There are also plantings of Moscato and some interesting reds are being made from Bombino Nero, Primitivo, Montepulciano and Sangiovese.

Wines

Aglianico de Vulture DOC is traditionally considered to be one of the greatest wines of Italy, the Barolo of the South. It is a powerful red wine which is tannic when young, emerging after a few years as an extremely complex and fine wine.

Apart from Aglianico few other wine of note. There is an ‘indicazione geographica tipica classification’ (IGT) that encompasses some fine Moscato wines. These account for only small amount of wine produced.

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