Aglianico ( ,
History
The origins of both the vine itself and its name are unclear. Traditionally, the vine is thought to have originated in
Greek wine, first cultivated by
Phocians from an unidentified ancestral vine; it was then brought to
Cumae, near modern-day
Pozzuoli, by
Magna Graecia in the 8th century BC, and from there it spread into
southern Italy. However, modern DNA analysis of Aglianico does not support this view, revealing little relation to other Greek grape varieties. Its parentage also remains unknown, implying that it is likely to be endemic to its region.
If Aglianico was imported to Italy from Greece, no original Greek plantings have persisted.
The name first appeared in print as the feminine plural Aglianiche in 1520, and several etymological theories persist.
Oenologist Denis Dubourdieu has said "Aglianico is probably the grape with the longest consumer history of all", claiming that Aglianico was used to make the Falernian wine famed during Roman times.[H. Johnson Vintage: The Story of Wine, p. 73 Simon and Schuster 1989 .] Traces of the vine have been found in Molise, Apulia, and also on the island of Procida near Naples, although it is no longer widely cultivated in those places.
Relationship to other grapes
Despite the similarities in naming, the Campanian wine grape
Aglianicone is not a clonal mutation of Aglianico but
DNA analysis does suggest a close genetic relationship between the two varieties.
[J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours pg 13 Allen Lane 2012 ]
Wine regions
In Basilicata, Aglianico is the basis of the Aglianico del Vulture DOC and the region's only
DOCG wine, Aglianico del Vulture Superiore, concentrated in the northern area of the province of Potenza. The most sought-after productions come from the vineyards located in and around the extinct volcano
Monte Vulture.
In Campania, the area in and around the village of Taurasi in the Province of Avellino and the area around the Monte del Taburno in the Province of Benevento produce Aglianico wines bearing the DOCG designation. Taurasi DOCG was designated DOCG in 1993, and Aglianico del Taburno in 2011.
Other regions
The grape has also recently been planted in
Australian wine,
California wine, and Texas as it thrives in predominantly sunny climates with a long ripening season. In Australia it is being introduced in the
Murray Darling region with some success.
[Vinodiversity Aglianico accessdate = 2007-01-24] Producers in
Sierra Foothills,
McLaren Vale, Margaret River, Mudgee and Riverland are also experimenting with plantings.
Elsewhere in North America, it has been trialled in and Arizona, and in
Ontario wine, Canada.
Viticulture
The Aglianico vine
early and grows best in dry climates with generous amounts of sunshine. It has good resistance to outbreaks of
Uncinula necator, but can be very susceptible to
Peronospora. It also has low resistance to
botrytis cinerea, but since it is much too
grape tannins to make a worthwhile
dessert wine, the presence of this
noble rot in the vineyard is more of a viticultural hazard than an advantage.
The grape has a tendency to ripen late, with harvests as late as November in some parts of southern Italy. If the grape is picked too early, or with excessive crop yield, the grape can be aggressively tannic. The vine seems to thrive in particularly volcanic soils.[J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 7 Oxford University Press 2006 ]
Wine styles
Wines produced from Aglianico tend to be full-bodied with firm
grape tannins and high
acidity, endowing them with good aging potential. The rich flavors of the wine make it appropriate for pairing with rich meats such as
lamb meat. In Campania, the grape is sometimes blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot in the production of some
Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) wines.
[Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 53 Harcourt Books 2001 ]
In its youth, Aglianico is very tannic and concentrated, requiring a few years of ageing before it can be approachable. As it ages, the fruit becomes more pronounced and the tannins more balanced with the rest of the wine. The trademark coloring of the wine is a deep garnet.
Synonyms
Aglianico is also known under the following synonyms: Aglianco di Puglia, Aglianica, Aglianica De Pontelatone, Aglianichella, Aglianichello, Aglianico Amaro, Aglianico Comune, Aglianico Crni, Aglianico del Vulture, Aglianico di Benevento, Aglianico di Castellaneta, Aglianico di Lapio, Aglianico di Taurasi, Aglianico Femminile, Aglianico Liscio, Aglianico Mascolino, Aglianico Nero, Aglianico Noir, Aglianico Pannarano, Aglianico Trignarulo, Aglianico Tringarulo, Aglianico Verase, Aglianico Zerpoluso, Aglianico Zerpuloso, Aglianicone, Aglianicuccia, Agliano, Agliantica, Agliatica, Agliatico, Agnanico, Agnanico di Castellaneta, Alianiko, Cascavoglia, Cassano, Cerasole, Ellanico, Ellenica, Ellenico, Fiano Rosso, Fresella, Gagliano, Gesualdo, Ghiandara, Ghianna, Ghiannara, Glianica, Gnanica, Gnanico, Granica, Granico, Hellanica, Malvasia, Olivella, Olivella di San Cosmo, Pie di Colombo, Prie Blanc, Ruopolo, Spriema, Tintora, Tintora di Cerinola, Tringarulo, Uva Aglianica, Uva Castellaneta, Uva dei Cani, Uva di Castellaneta, Uva Nera, Zuccherina.
[ Aglianico, accessed on May 30, 2020]
See also
