Aglianico Archives - Dr. Liz Thach, MW

The Queen of Campania Wine

(May 2016) Milena Pepe, CEO of Tenuta Cavelier Pepe, swept across the front porch of her winery to greet us with open arms and a huge Italian welcome. The winery, located in the rolling hills of Campania, looked like a small palace with tall white pillars along the front and the vineyards beyond. Milena beckoned us to line up on the porch for a photo, and then for the next two hours, she proceeded to dazzle, delight, and inform us about the unique wines of Campania and the many indigenous grape varieties she is using at her estate. Visit to Tenuta [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:44:27-08:00July 3, 2016|

The King of Aglianico – Piero at Mastroberardino Winery

I first met Piero Mastroberardino at Vinitaly several years ago. As a fellow professor, we immediately had something in common. He invited me to join a vertical tasting of his Taurasi Aglianico, which featured four wines from each decade of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. It couldn’t have been a better introduction to aglianico, because it made me fall in love with the grape and wine. The complex black plum, tar and earth notes, with the piercing acidity and structured tannins of the wine allows it to last for decades, and grow in complexity. Rightly called the “Barolo of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:44:48-08:00June 27, 2016|

The Campania Wine Region: Climate, Major Grapes and Four DOCGs

Located about two hours south of Rome, the wine region of Campania is a magical and romantic place. The word “Campania” means “Happy Land”, and the locals told us that the landscape is similar to that of Piedmont. I would have to agree because Campania is beautiful with rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, red poppies, and rocky mountain cliffs. The vineyards are also at higher elevations, ranging from 300 to 800 meters above sea level. The Beautiful Vineyard Landscape of Campania The climate is obviously Mediterranean, being close to the sea. It has hot dry summers and cool wet winters, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:45:23-08:00June 15, 2016|