Aglianico del Vulture
By: Giovanni Calia
Tags: Wine, Italy, Travel

Aglianico del Vulture

Aglianico del Vulture is an excellent wine from Basilicata, produced specifically in one area of Mount Vulture, which is located in the northern part of the Potenza’s province. This mountain is actually a dormant volcano off for a long time, on whose slopes are lands from the unique soil and climatic characteristics.

The land is rich in minerals, especially potassium, a fundamental element for the plants growth and, of course, also for the vine. In the vine, in fact, potassium plays an important role in metabolism and in the sugars translocation.

In this area there are also several natural springs of mineral water, which makes this part of Basilicata the ideal place for quality farming and wine. Aglianico del Vulture is a wine made with grapes of a vine native of this land grown in hilly areas at altitudes between 200 and 700 meters above sea level.

History

History

Quinto Orazio Flacco, known as Horace, described in his writings the unequivocally love for this red wine and its intense flavor.

The etymology of the term “Aglianico” is still the subject of debate among scholars, but it could comes from the expression Vitis Hellenic used by the Romans.

Another hypothesis rather credited traces the name of this grape in Elea, an ancient town of Lucania overlooking the Tyrrhenian coast. The term “Aglianico” then, born from a linguistic distortion introduced by the Aragonese that in the fifteenth century were the Lucania’s rulers. In Castilian, in fact, the double “l” is pronounced with the sound “gl” from “Hellenic”, so Aglianico.

Grape harvest

The fifteen municipalities involved by the production of Aglianico del Vulture DOC are Rionero in Vulture, Venosa, Melfi, Genzano di Lucania, Barile, Rampolla, Acerenza, Atella, Forenza, Lavello, Banzi, Ripacandida, Ginestra, Maschito andPalazzo San Gervasio.

The grape harvest is traditionally made in the second half of October until the middle of November for 3–4 weeks. The maximum yield per hectare is set at 100 quintals, while the yield of grapes in the wine must not exceed 70%. The entire production process, including fermentation and subsequent aging required, must be carried out entirely within the production area specified.

Thanks to its excellent organoleptic characteristics, and the resemblance to a well-known grape variety of Piedmont, this wine has been proudly surnamed the “Barolo of the South”. Aglianico del Vulture is one of the most popular Italian red wines both nationally and internationally and to demonstrate this we just mention the eleven “Great Mentions” and the “Gold Medal” awarded in 2010 during the popular event Vinitaly in Verona.

The excellent quality of this wine with its long history of production, have lead the D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) happen in the 1971. An additional recognition was the most recent assignment of D.O.C.G. (Controlled and Guaranteed Origin Denomination) to the “Superior” type of Aglianico del Vulture.

Characteristics

Aglianico del Vulture DOC has a beautiful ruby ​​red color in which appear, with the progress of aging, garnet or orange tones. The aroma is intense and balanced, and also is accentuated with age. On the palate this wine has a warm flavor, savory and dry, overall very harmonic and balanced that with age it becomes more and more velvety. The content of tannins is ideal. The alcohol content is included between 11.5 ° and 14 ° depending on the type.

This wine is ideal to aging and it is also marketed in the types “Vecchio” (aged at least 3 years, including two in wooden barrels) and “Riserva” (minimum 5 years, even in this case at least two in wooden barrels).

Aglianico del Vulture unaged can not be sold before one year after the harvest, and in any event not before 1 November of the following year. There is also a “Spumante” version and an interesting dessert wine called “Aglianico dolce”.

How to serve

Due to its intense flavor and full-bodied, Aglianico del Vulture D.O.C. is particularly well with meat (white, but mainly red) cooked on a spit or in the oven. This wine is ideal for braised meats, roasts and rich dishes with wild game and fowl. It is also a great combination with the mature cheeses such as Caciocavallo Lucano or Canestrato di Moliterno IGP produced with sheep and goats milk.

The recommended serving temperature is 18–20 ° C.

In his sparkling version, Aglianico del Vulture is the perfect accompaniment to sweets and desserts such as fruit tarts, pastries and traditional desserts. In this case the wine should be served colder, around 8–12 ° C.

Drinking it will give you a feeling of antiquity, wisdom, body and texture. Aglianico is one of the best expressions of the land where it was born.