Fiano di Avellino – Flavorful White Wine from Campania

Italian Wine Guy has just returned from Vinitaly 2007. He writes of many things, positive and negative, about the tendencies in the Italian Wine Industry. I found his comments about the Campania wines interesting. Campania has seen a tremendous increase in both the quality and quantity of their wines over the last 20 years. While some producers have taken the industrial production road most are producing traditional wines with autochthon grapes. Fiano di Avellino is one of those wines, not very well known, but a great white wine to accompany dinner.

Fiano di Avellino is an antique wine. In Roman times it was called “Vitis Apiana” or the Vine of the Bees. It seems that local bees prefer the flower of this vine. King Ferdinand of Sweden, in the XVIII century, loved this wine, ordering 3 barrels a year. Traditionally most wines were sweet or bubbly. This made Fiano di Avellino the popular choice of women and wine novices. Centuries of craftsmanship have resulted in a flavorful, dry white wine. Fiano di Avellino is a great accompaniment for cheeses, velvet sauce dishes, baked and grilled fish, mollusks, white sauces, fowl and white meats.

Grape: 85% Fiano, 15% Coda di Volpe, Greco, or Trebbiano Toscano.

Color: Intense Hay Yellow.

Bouquet: Mature fruit, Peaches and Tropical Fruits with a hint of toasted Hazelnuts.

Flavor: Soft, initially a hint of peaches and exotic fruits neutralizing the alcohol base.

Alcohol: Minimum 11% to 12.5%.

Serving Temperature: 8-10 c.

Glass: White wine glass.

Tags: Fiano White Wine Italian Wine Campania Sommelier Food and Wine Travel Italy