Taurasi and Taurasi riserva are red, still

Italian wine Italian wine () is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the country with the widest variety of indigenous grapevine in the world, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, as well as the List of wine-producing regions#Countries, world's ...

s based principally on the

Aglianico Aglianico ( , ) is a black grape grown in the southern regions of Italy, mostly Basilicata and Campania. It is considered with Sangiovese and Nebbiolo to be one of the three greatest Italian varieties. Aglianico is sometimes called "The Barolo o ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, Zante currant, currant, sultana (grape), sultana). For a complete list of all grape species, including those unimp ...

produced in the

province of Avellino The province of Avellino () is a province in the Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea ...

in the

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

region. They were awarded ''

denominazione di origine controllata The following four classification of wine, classifications of wine constitute the Italy, Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; 'designation of origin'); * ''Indicazione ...

'' (DOC) status in 1970 and ''

denominazione di origine controllata e garantita The following four classification of wine, classifications of wine constitute the Italy, Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; 'designation of origin'); * ''Indicazione ...

'' (DOCG) status in 1993. Produced less than 40 miles (64 km) from the other Aglianico stronghold of

Aglianico del Vulture Aglianico del Vulture and Aglianico del Vulture Superiore are Italian red wines based on the Aglianico grape and produced in the Vulture area of Basilicata. Located on volcanic soils derived from nearby Mount Vulture, it was awarded ''Denom ...

Basilicata Basilicata (, ; ), also known by its ancient name Lucania (, , ), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometr ...

, the

volcanic soils The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural considerations when planting grape vines. The soil supports the root structure of the vine and influences the drainage levels and amount of minerals and nutrients that the ...

of the Taurasi region demonstrate the potential the Aglianico grape has to make wines on par with the

Nebbiolo Nebbiolo (, ; ) is an Italian red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the ''Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme, a ...

grape of

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

and

Sangiovese Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin , "blood of Jove, Jupiter". Sangiovese Grosso, used for traditionally powerful and slow maturing red wines, is primarily grown in the central regions of Italy ...

grape of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

. The popularity of the region's wine is a relatively recent phenomenon. Until the early 1990s, there was only one winery ( Mastroberardino), producing wine for the export market. By the mid-2000s, there were over 293 producers in the Taurausi zone.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 7 Oxford University Press 2006. .

Production zone

The vineyards may be located within the boundaries of the following ''

comuni A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' (municipalities) of the

: Taurasi,

Bonito Bonitos are a tribe of medium-sized, ray-finned, predatory fish in the family Scombridae, which it shares with the mackerel, tuna, and Spanish mackerel tribes, and also the butterfly kingfish. Also called the tribe Sardini, it consists of ...

Castelfranci Castelfranci (; Irpino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of I ...

Castelvetere sul Calore Castelvetere sul Calore is a ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy. It takes its name from the Calore Irpino The Calore Irpino or Calore Beneventano or Calore river is a river in southwestern Italy. It rises from ''Col ...

, Fontanarosa, Lapio, Luogosano, Mirabella Eclano,

Montefalcione Montefalcione (Irpino: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. The town lies on a hill which at its summit is above sea level. In 1861 it was the location of a revolt against the newly fo ...

Montemarano Montemarano is a town and ''comune'', former Latin bishopric and present titular see in the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. History The existence of the town is documented since the 11th century. During the Norm ...

Montemiletto Montemiletto (; Irpino: ) is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. The population of Montemiletto is roughly 5,400. References See also *Irpinia *Revolt of Montefalcione The revolt of Montefalcione was a popular p ...

Paternopoli Paternopoli is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsu ...

, Pietradefusi, Sant'Angelo all'Esca, San Mango sul Calore, Torre Le Nocelle and

Venticano Venticano ( Irpinian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy. Twin towns * Ferrara Ferrara (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, capital of the province ...

. The total area is about and is situated on

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

soil.

Winemaking

The Aglianico grape thrives on vineyards at higher altitudes, around 400 to 500 meters above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. According to DOCG regulations, Taurasi wines must be aged a minimum of 3 years prior to release with at least 1 of those years being in

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

. For wines labeled ''Riserva'', the wines must be aged for at least 4 years. The wines are made primarily from Aglianico though up to 15% of

Barbera Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high levels ...

, Piedirosso and

may be blended in.T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 299 Dorling Kindersley 2005. .

References

{{Reflist Italian DOCG Wines of Campania Province of Avellino