Italian Wine Adventure #1: Aglianico (King of Southern Italian wines, learning Italian wine, wines you must try, wines for red wine lovers)

Show Notes

Episode 39: Italian Wine Adventure #1: Aglianico 00:00

Hello! And welcome to The Wine Pair Podcast. I’m Joe, your sommelier of reasonably priced wine, and this is my wife and my wine pairing partner in crime, Carmela. And we are The Wine Pair! 

Ok, for a quick orientation for those of you who may be new to the podcast - each episode we taste and review three wines that are reasonably priced - meaning under $20 - and that should be easy to find, all so that we can help you find some wines you might like and avoid wines that SUCK. And, along the way we try to have some fun, learn something new - like this week where we are learning about an Italian wine you should know - and not be overly serious. Because you know wine should be fun for God’s sake.

Ok, Carmela, I guess I should say welcome back to you because we haven’t done the show together in a few weeks! We were on vacation last week in beautiful Lake Chelan and so we released a minisode and the week before we gave you a break and I did the show with our son Giuseppe on books and wine, so it’s been a bit. Did you miss it? Did you need the break? Was all of this too overwhelming for you?!?

This week, Carmela, I am very excited because we are going to start doing a series of episodes focused on Italian wines. Viva Italia!

Now, even though we drink a lot of Italian wines when we are not podcasting, we haven’t done too many Italian wines in our podcast yet because part of the premise of the podcast is that we want to help people discover new wines, and I think we have been focused on wines that are kind of new to us as well. 

And I also think some of the wines we have been tasting and reviewing have also been a little more on the common or easy to find side of things, so I think that is also why we haven’t done a lot of Italian wines which can be a little harder to find. But this week, we are going to focus on one of the truly great Italian wines that wine nerds far and wide love called Aglianico - and we have three of these wines that we are going to taste and review today. Hooray!

So, we’ll spend some time in this episode talking about Aglianico and why it is a wine you should at least try before we get to tasting it, but I did want to talk about the pronunciation of the wine. I find that Italian is one of those languages with words that people pronounce wrong, but then insist they are pronouncing it right. And, for a lot of this, I blame Starbucks. First, let’s take the word for those crunchy Italian half-moon shaped cookies. How do you pronounce it? They are biscotti, not bis-scotty. And those little pieces of toast with tomato and onion on them? They are bruschetta, not brew-shetta. What are some other words that are often mispronounced? Ricotta. Italian. 

So, quick pronunciation lesson, and I will still get my pronunciation somewhat wrong, but will be closer to right than wrong, the wine is called Aglianico, even though it looks like Agg-leee-ah-Nico. So, I should explain for those of you in listening lande. Aglianico is spelled A-G-L-I-A-N-I-C-O. In Italian, the “gli” combination of letters is pronounced something like “lee” but with like something caught in the back of your throat for the “g”. So words with that spelling are a little hard to pronounce for native English speakers, because, like in the word English - which has a gli, we just say “GLIH”

All right, enough about pronunciations for now, we need to get to talking about this wine and tasting it, right? Right?

But first . . . we have to do our shameless plug, right Carmela? If you like what you are hearing, we would love for you to subscribe to our podcast, and we would also really appreciate it if you would leave us a rating and review so that people who may stumble upon us will tune in to our podcast. 

If you want to reach out to us with ideas, or thoughts, or just to talk - you can DM us on Instagram at thewinepairpodcast or contact us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com.

And, as we do every week, we’ll tell you someone we think you should tell about The Wine Pair Podcast, and this week we would like you to tell anyone you know who is of Italian heritage. You should tell them because we are talking about Italian wines, and because we are both of Italian heritage!

ARTICLES

• http://www.italianlanguageguide.com/pronunciation/stress-accent-marks.asp
• https://www.winetraveler.com/grape/aglianico/ 

Topic: What is Aglianico, and why should I care?  08:25

Why are we talking about Aglianico, Carmela? Why should you care?

Well, part of it is because we care about you, out there in listening land. There are some well known and well respected Italian wines that we feel should be on your drinking list if they are not already.  And we suspect that Aglianico may not be on the list of wines you know, or that you know very well. 

Why do you think people don’t know about these Italian wines? A lot of this, I think, is because there are not a ton of Italian wine grapes grown outside of Italy, and especially not Aglianico, and so I just think we in America are not as exposed to Italian wines in general. I also think that there probably has not been as much over production of these wines at least lately like there has been for some other Italian wines which you can find all over the place. 

So, what is one of those Italian wines that everyone knows, and you can find all over the place, that sparkles and is cheap and delicious? Prosecco. Prosecco, Prosecco, Prosecco. And that’s great. We love it, too. And another one everyone knows Pinot Grigio. And then I think everyone knows about Chianti. But that’s kind of it when it comes to Italian wines for the average wine drinker I think.

And that’s too bad because there are a lot of great Italian wines out there, and remember Italy produces the most wine in the world! And that is part of why we are going to go on this Amazing Italian wine adventure. 

In this episode, we are going to focus on Italian red wines, and among Italian red wines, the two most famous grapes are Nebbiolo, which is the grape in Barolo and Barbaresco wines, and Sangiovese, which is the grape in Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. Again, of those two, Chianti is the most well known and most widely available. The others are wines you can find, but can be very expensive - sometimes not starting at lower than $35 or $40. So they are not going to be on our podcast. Unless we decide to do a special edition. 

Now, there is a another well respected, and for some folks, well known red wine in Italy, and it is often called one of the three great wines of Italy, and sometimes called the King of southern Italian wines - but it still may be one that you have never heard of before today or that you have never tasted. Can you guess what it is called? You guessed it, Aglianico. 

The most revered and most expensive Aglianico based wine is called Taurasi - yes, like the famous women’s basketball player Diana Taurasi - much like Barolo is the most famous and expensive Nebbiolo based wine. In fact, Taurasi is sometimes called the Barolo of southern Italy. 

So, we chose this wine because we think that Aglianico is a really good wine to know - and for a few reasons. Any thoughts on this Carmela? Here are a few reasons why we think you should know Aglianico:

• First, like we said it is considered one of the great wines of the world from one of the great wine growing countries in the world and so is just a great wine to know if you are starting to learn more about wine and want to branch out. 
• Second, in terms of wines that wine nerds and wine aficionados love and collect and are willing to spend a lot of money on, Taurasi is one of those wines that those in the know know. So, again, from an educational perspective, it’s a good one to have in your repertoire.
• Third, it is a great wine that goes great with food, and is supposed to be a great option for rich foods like saucy barbecue, grilled or wood fired pizza, smoked brisket, and salty cheeses. Think salty and smoky with this wine.
• Fourth, and is often considered a good alternative for Cabernet Sauvignon lovers because of its high tannins and strong flavors. 
• And finally, like many Italian wines, good wines can be found for a really reasonable price - if you look. Outside of Taurasi, you can find great Aglianico wines made from the same grapes that don’t cost as much as their more expensive brothers and sisters. 

So, if you really want to impress the waiter or wine steward at an Italian restaurant, ask them if they have Aglianico available. They might give you a second knowing look and wink. 

Now, for a little more background on this wine, Aglianico, as I mentioned comes from southern Italy, where most Italian immigrants from the US came from. Specifically, Aglianico comes from two areas in southern Italy. 

The first is the Campania area which is where Naples and the Amalfi coast are. Again, it is grown most famously in the area called Taurasi. If you think of Italy like a leg, Campania is the area right above the foot and below the shin that bends with the ankle joint. While Taurasi wines can be very expensive, you can find good, reasonably priced versions if you look for Aglianico from Irpinia, which is an area that surrounds Taurasi, and other areas of Campania. The other advantage of these non-Taurasi Campania Aglianico wines is that you can drink them a little younger - Taurasi is a wine that is also famous for needing a lot of time to age so that it calms down. However, I would say even a non-Taurasi Aglianico probably needs at least 5 years to be even close to ready.

Aglianico also comes from the  Basilicata region of Italy, which is a next door neighbor of Campania, but more inland. You can think of it like where the ankle bone would be in the leg of Italy. For the two of us, Basilicata is the region of Italy in between all of the places where our families come from, Carmela. It is to the east of Campania, to the west of Puglia, and to the north of Calabria. In the Basilicata region, the famous Aglianico is called Aglianico del Vulture - looks like the word for the bird the vulture - and is named after an extinct volcano called Monte Vulture. Some people love the Aglianico del Vulture, and it is often a lot less expensive than Taurasi, and very good. In this area, too, the wines are usually 100% Aglianico, whereas in Taurasi, they are allowed to be as little as 85% Aglianico. 

Aglianico tends to be spicy, rich, with a big body, high tannin, and high acidity, and this is why, from a profile perspective, it is often seen as a good alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon. We’ll see, but the difference is often in the richness or jamminess of the flavors, and surprisingly, that nod often goes to Aglianico. 

Some other interesting things about this wine are that it loves sun and it loves long hot summers, obviously, because it is in southern Italy, it loves volcanic soil, it buds very early, but it ripens and is harvested very late, usually in November. Some people are beginning to think that because of this fact - that it likes long hot summers - global warming may make it a wine that is produced in more areas of the world.


ARTICLES

• https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/understanding-aglianico-wine-italys-next-red/
• https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/15-bottles-thats-taste-like-50-italian-aglianico/
• https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-taurasi
• https://www.statista.com/statistics/240638/wine-production-in-selected-countries-and-regions/ 
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/karlsson/2021/12/30/wine-production-in-the-world-in-2020-a-detailed-look/?sh=4fa7619d64a0 

A review of the Aglianico wines we chose for this episode 20:45

Alright, let’s get to the wines we chose for this episode because I want to taste them!

The first wine we chose today is from Campania and is called Mastro Aglianico. A few notes about this wine. First, and this may be something you have noticed at the store, most of the time, Italian wines have a paper label on them on the neck of the bottle that will have the initials DOC or DOCG on them - and these are official labels the Italian government grants. DOC and DOCG are designations given to wines to indicate their quality (DOCG is the highest quality) to validate where they are from, and to confirm that the wines made in that region are typical of wines from the region - both the grapes and the production - and they have pretty strict rules about it. This wine is labeled as IGT and so it does not have that little paper label on the top. What IGT means is that the government certifies that the grapes come from the region they say they are from, but nothing else. Sometimes this means wines are of lower quality, but very often, some of the finest wines in Italy have this IGT designation. If you have ever heard of Super Tuscan wines, these are high quality wines that are often made of different grapes, and they are labeled as IGT.

A few other interesting notes about this wine. This wine is made in stainless steel tanks and then put in the bottle for at least a month. So, this is an unoaked wine, which should make it less tannic. This wine is also sourced from grapes that apparently come from all over the area, so this should be considered an “entry level” Aglianico. And, in fact, this winemaker does make a Taurasi wine, so this is probably their entry level Aglianico. 

So, I am guessing that this wine will be pretty different from the other two, and pretty different for an Aglianico - it should be less tannic, more approachable, and much more forgiving to drink young. 

The second wine we chose is from the other region in the south - Basilicata- from a wine maker called D’Angelo. This is a DOC wine, so it is different from the other two we have which are both labled IGT. It is also different from the first wine because it is aged for 18 months in oak barrels, so it should have a more powerful taste than the Mastro. My guess is that this wine, which is now 5 years old, will still be a little young, but starting to come into its own. It will probably be very tannic still, and for the best experience, we should actually probably wait 10 years for a wine like this. The web site does say that it can age for up to 20 years, and that it should be opened and allowed to breathe for 30-60 minutes or so. I would definitely recommend decanting this wine. 

So, we should have a bit of a balance between these two wines in terms of region and style - unoaked and oaked, Campania and Basilicata, etc. And, we need to taste this one because we are supposed to serve it at our party next weekend, so I want to make sure it is ok!

The last wine is again from Campania from a producer called Donnachiara and is in the area of Irpinia, which is very close to Taurasi. In looking up information on the interwebs, the winemaker is a person named Riccardo Cotarella who is evidently a winemaking superstar in Italy - I mean I’ve never heard of him as if that means anything - and, according to the website, the most famous and well respected wine consultant in Italy. For what that’s worth. 

So, while not an Irpinia, this should be a good example of a solid Campania Aglianico, and a different example than our first wine which is also from Campania because this one was vinified in barriques - that means they are smaller new french oak barrels - so I would expect it to be pretty different from the other Campanese wine - more tannic, and probably not as approachable young. 

But we have information and links and stuff in our show notes, but now

enough with this jibber jabber - I think it’s time to drink some wine!

ARTICLES

• https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-doc-and-docg-wine-differences-between-doc-docg-igt-and-vdt-on-italian-wine-labels#quiz-0 
• https://www.taubfamilyselections.com/producers/mastroberardino/mastro-aglianico-campania-igt 
• https://www.dangelowine.com/en/
• https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/understanding-aglianico-wine-italys-next-red/ 

https://www.nicholaswines.com/product/donnachiara-aglianico-2019/ 

Aglianico wine pairing tasting and review 24:44

Wine: Mastro Aglianico Campania
Region: Italy, Campania
Producer: Mastroberardino
Year: 2019
Price: $15.29
Retailer: Thriftway (Vashon, franchised, different owners across the US, some Kroger and Winn-Dixie)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Grapes: Aglianico

What we tasted and smelled in this Aglianico: Cherry, black cherry, blackberry, wood, smoke, leather, tobacco, currant, pepper, spice, jammy fruit, currant, sour cherry, must. Reminds us a bit of a Pinot Noir.
Food to pair with this Aglianico: Good food wine. Italian sausage, wood fired pizza, good cookout wine, burgers, summer red wine.


As a reminder on our rating scale, we rate on a scale of 1-10, where 7 and above means that we would buy it, and 4 and below means that we are likely to pour it down the sink, and in-between we are likely to drink it and finish it, but we are probably not going to buy it.

Rating:
Joe: 8/10
Carmela: 8/10


Wine: D'Angelo Aglianico del Vulture
Region: Italy, Basilicata
Producer: Donato D’Angelo
Year: 2017
Price: $14.95
Retailer: Invino (online retailer)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Aglianico
Professional Rating: WS 90, WE 90

What we tasted and smelled in this Aglianico: Rose, potpourri, nail polish remover, tar, cherry, sweet/sour cherry Twizzler, red licorice, lots of tannin and acid. Delicious. Fabulous. An experience. A big wine.
Food to pair with this Aglianico:  Good food wine. Red meat. Stew. Cured meat and salty cheeses. Can stand on its own.

Rating:
Joe: 10/10
Carmela:  7/10

Wine: Donnachiara Aglianico Montefalcione IGT
Region: Italy, Campania
Producer: Donnachiara
Year: 2019
Price: $17.99
Retailer: Total Wine
Alcohol: 13%
Grapes: Aglianico

What we tasted and smelled in this Aglianico: Leather, smoke, tar, cherry, tobacco, raspberry jam, berries, sour cherry, not as rich as the other two. Thinner. May be too young.
Food to pair with this Aglianico: Foods we already talked about. Wood fired pizza. Cheeses.

Rating:
Joe: 7/10
Carmela: 7/10


Which one of these are you finishing tonight?
Carmela: Mastro
Joe: D’Angelo

What is your overall impression of Aglianico?
Really like this wine. Should be a wine that we drink much more often, especially the Del Vulture.

Taste profiles expected from Aglianico:  46:48

Aglianico taste profile

• White pepper, black cherry, smoke, game, spiced plum, Cracked Peppercorn, Blueberry, Blackberry Bramble, Wild Strawberry, Black Truffle, Potting Soil, Underbrush, Mushroom Broth, Cured Meat, Smoked Meat, Leather,  Cocoa, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ash, Cedar, Tobacco, Cigar Box, Incense, Tar, Coffee, Licorice, Dried Oregano, Dried Roses
• Aglianico wines tend to flavors of raspberries, plums and black cherry. There can also be smoky notes evocative of a lit cigar, freshly ground coffee and new leather. As the wines mature, they can take on earthy, forest-floor and gamey notes.
• From the Mastro website: This fresh, youthful red has notes of strawberry, cherry, blackberry and violet flowers. The palate is smooth, medium-bodied, with red fruits on the palate and a fruity finish.

Outro and how to find The Wine Pair Podcast 49:48

As always, thank you so very much for listening to us, The Wine Pair, and you know, while you’re thinking about it, we think you should subscribe and give us a nice rating! 

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Thanks for listening to the Wine Pair podcast, and we will see you next time. And, as we say, life is short, so stop drinking shitty wine