Wine of the south Italy
The
six regions of Italy's south take in the "sunwashed" vineyards that
prompted the ancient Greeks to nickname their colonies "Oenotria", the
land of wine. From Hellas they brought to Magna Gręcia vines which are
still planted today, under such names as Aglianico, Greco, Malvasia,
Gaglioppo and Moscato.
The Romans in their turn recognized the potential of the slopes that
gave them Falernum, Caecubum, Mamertinum and other heady wines that
were eulogized by poets from Horace to Virgil. Pliny the Elder and Columella
were among those who recorded methods of viticulture and enology that
included descriptions of how to age and preserve wine and even to make
it bubbly. But wine had its ups and downs under the Romans, too, reaching
a low point when the Emperor Domitian ordered vines removed while restricting
trade to combat excess production.
Many outsiders left their marks on these Mediterranean shores. Foremost
among them were the Spaniards, who dominated until the Risorgimento
(?) and brought vines into Sardinia, Sicily and other places centuries
after the Arabs and Phoenicians planted what may have been the first
“foreign” vines in Italy.
It might be argued that at times in the past the vineyards of the Italian Mezzogiorno were put to better use than they had been until just recently. Apulia and Sicily have been perennial leaders in volume produced, much of it in bulk blending wines shipped to northerly places.
Though the six regions produce nearly 40 percent of Italy's total wine, they account for only about 14 percent of the DOC/DOCG. Yet, after decades in which the emphasis had been steadfastly on quantity, producers in all regions have become increasingly convinced that the future lies in quality, as the class of wines steadily improves while volume steadily decreases.
Studied techniques of grape growing and methods of temperature controlled fermentation and maturation in oxygen-free conditions have permitted production of dry, balanced wines that can be attractively light and fruity. Several of Italy's most impressive red wines for aging originate in the south, led by Campania's DOCG of Taurasi. White wines of modern style have also come forth. There has been a welcome trend to upgrade the quality and status of the traditional sweet wines, such as Moscato and Malvasia, as well as Sicily's fortified Marsala and Sardinia's Vernaccia di Oristano.
The misconception that the Mezzogiorno has a universally torrid climate overlooks the fact that much of the territory is temperate and parts are downright chilly. Conditions depend on altitude and proximity to the Tyrrhenian, Ionian or Adriatic seas. Some good wines are made in hot places, the slopes of Vesuvius, the isle of Ischia, Apulia's Salento peninsula, Sicily's western coast and Sardinia's Campidano. But many wines of scope come from higher, cooler places, the hills around Avellino in Campania, Basilicata's Vulture, Sicily's Etna and central highlands, Apulia's interior plateau and Sardinia's eastern coastal range.
Major wineries from elsewhere in Italy have been investing in the south, where the climate permits consistent quality from year to year to offer wines of premium class at reasonable prices.
The six regions of Italy's south :