Wild beauty
For winemakers in Basilicata nothing comes easy. But they work hard to press one of the most exciting wines in Italy.
Basilicata is the Italian deep south. A rocky, wild, inaccessible land situated between the heel and sole of the «boot». After the Second World War, large parts of the population emigrated to richer pastures. What remained was a depopulated and impoverished region, along with a largely pristine natural environment. The climate here is harsh: summertime temperatures of over 40 degrees alternate with cold, severe winters. So it’s no wonder that you will find cave dwellings here such as the UNESCO-listed «Sassi di Matera». They originated during the Bronze Age.
Top wines from the slopes of a volcano
In terms of winegrowing, Basilicata is more fragmented than almost any other region in Italy. Its 10,000 hectares of vineyards are divided up into many thousands of individual parcels, some less than a hectare. Most winemakers are organised in cooperatives and sell their wine in bulk. Only a single-digit amount of regional wine production is in a doc or docg area.
And yet the Basilicata wine region has a real treasure. The ancient Aglianico grape variety grows on the slopes of Mount Vulture, an extinct volcano. The grapes grow from volcanic soil at an altitude of 450 to 600 metres, where they benefit from the large temperature differences between day and night. Some of the vines are up to 80 years old. Wines of the appellation Aglianico del Vulture have a deep colour and an impressive stature; they can be cellared for a long time, constantly increasing in elegance as they age. These are truly monumental wines – the Aglianico grape is known as the «Barolo of the south».
Pork sausage from ancient Rome
The cuisine of Basilicata is as ancient as the land itself. Traditionally, every family raises their own pig, which is butchered and then roasted on a spit or turned into sausages. One historic speciality is Lucanica, a pork sausage that has been around since ancient Roman times. It is prepared from only the best parts of the animal, including the tenderloin. The food here is spiced up with small red peperoncini, which you can buy on a string at the market. These chillies are so hot they bring tears to many tourists’ eyes. As if to balance this out, the locals love sweets with a lot of honey.
docg areas in Basilicata
Aglianico del Vulture Superiore
doc areas in Basilicata
Aglianico del Vulture, Grottino di Roccanova, Matera, Terre dell’Alta Val d’Agri
Key producers
Basilico, D’Angelo, Paternoster.
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