Campania is the region of southern Italy that includes the magnificent active volcano Vesuvius, stunning seaside towns and villages like those of the sunny Amalfi coast, the unique city of Naples, fascinating ancient sites such as Pompeii and the crystal-clear blue waters of Capri and other islands. There is much more to this region – Inland Campania shows a different character with striking landscapes encompassing wooded hillsides, winding rivers, majestic mountains and cool breezes that contrast greatly with the warm coastal areas – this area is known as Irpinia.
WHERE IS IRPINIA?
Irpinia, from the local word hurpos, wolves, covers the entire province of Avellino, 60 km east of Naples. The origin of the word Irpinia says a lot about the area and its people. The people of Irpinia are not fishermen like those you find in Positano and other villages on the coast, but shepherds. They are strong, stubborn people, tied firmly to their roots and very different from the open personalities of those living by the sea.
The lands of Irpinia are highly varied and cover approximately 3,000 sq.km with the main city, Avellino, in the southwest. Nearby are the tuff quarries of Tufo, hill towns such as Montefalcione and Rocca San Felice, and the plateau of Ariano Irpino is further north. Irpinia shares borders with the Puglia region (which forms the heel of Italy’s boot) to the northeast, the province of Benevento to the northwest, Naples to the west and Salerno to the south, with the Vulture area, well-known for its Aglianico, to the east.
The mountains reach an altitude of 1800m asl, shelter the area from warm winds coming from the sea, creating a cool climate with steep day-night temperature swings that are ideal for viticulture.
WINE AREAS
Irpinia is the green heart of Campania, but above all it is a wine region, with an impressive concentration of excellence. In fact, three of the Campania region’s four DOCG wines are produced here, including the oldest DOCG of southern Italy: Taurasi which gained the denomination in 1993. Irpinia’s other two DOCGs are the whites Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo, both certified in 2003.
Another denomination, Irpinia DOC, which has been in place since 2005, covers an area including 118 towns, while the Campi Taurasini DOC area includes only 24 towns, 17 of which are also included in the red Taurasi DOCG area.
GRAPES & WINES
The Aglianico grape is Irpinia’s flagship red, although other red varieties are grown here too, such as Piedirosso and Sciascinoso. Aglianico is the main grape of the DOCG Taurasi denomination with a minimum 85% of the blend (although most of producers make 100% Aglianico wines) and a minimum of 12 months aging in wooden vessels.
Aglianico is a difficult grape to grow: it’s late ripening, its thin skin is prone to mildew and it can be challenging to harvest this grape with several vineyard passages required in order to pick healthy grapes. It’s a difficult variety to manage in terms of winemaking too: when young, it tends to be tannic, acidic, rather harsh and sometimes rustic. Aglianico is certainly one for patient drinkers and lovers of the variety who need to give the wine the time it deserves. It’s very much a food wine and pairs perfectly with the local food which has many pork-based dishes, tasty cheeses, mushrooms and hearty soups.
Fiano is a very versatile grape, one of Italy’s great whites with an excellent reputation among producers and critics, for its elegance, age-ability and the concentration of terpenes that make it a semi-aromatic variety. The Fiano di Avellino DOCG production zone covers 26 municipal areas in a wide area with a range of different soils, aspects and altitudes making for very different styles of wine.
Fiano is a grape that adapts easily to different conditions and recently it has even been planted outside Italy in areas including California and Australia.
Greco is the alter ego of Fiano. The two white grapes share some similarities, including a long history – both are very ancient grapes and both are the main varieties for the two DOCG whites of Irpinia, respectively Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino.
Greco however has completely different characteristics from Fiano. It’s grown in the territories of only eight towns in volcanic, yellow tuff soils. The wines are intensely coloured wine with great minerality, saltiness and complex depth.
IRPINIA – QUICK FACTS
Irpinia produces about 28% of the Campania region’s wines.
In 2005 Robert Parker said, “Aglianico is next big thing”.
There are several biotypes of Aglianico, including one for Taurasi and also Aglianico del Taburno and Aglianico del Vulture.
Aglianico, Fiano and Greco are among Italy’s most ancient grape varieties, brought over from Greece thousands of years ago.
Tenuta Cavalier Pepe in Irpinia was ranked 14th overall in the 2024 World’s Best Vineyards awards – the best in Italy.
A destination for wine connoisseurs and oenophiles to discover the secrets behind some of southern Italy’s finest micro-wineries.
The Irpinia wine region has developed rapidly in recent years, with the two major players, Mastroberardino and Feudi di San Gregorio, sharing the market with small niche wineries, some of them specializing in single-vineyard wines.
Although Irpinia is just an hour’s drive from Naples, it still plays second fiddle to the better-known destinations of the Campania region such as the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Vesuvius, and so on, while at the same time having great potential flows of tourism.
For this reason, many family-run wineries, each with their own distinctive characters, have started to offer authentic wine experiences.
Thanks to this mix of visionary producers, independent family-run wineries, contemporary or traditional estates and revolutionary winemakers, Irpinia has become one of Italy’s most fascinating wine areas, particularly for its whites.
The local tourism scene is developing steadily through joint ventures and new openings of hotels and resorts. Wine therapy and wine spas are another aspect that’s growing in this hilly area, and both private investments and European funding are increasingly oriented towards boosting tourism in the area.
Along with the increasing success of Irpinia’s wine production, this patch of land has developed a genuine and positive attitude towards hospitality and there are numerous services on offer in terms of hospitality and incoming experiences. Visitors can choose to stay at a cosy B&B, a charming countryside farmhouse or a luxury resort and vineyard tours, lunch in the barrel room or meeting with the winemakers are among the most popular wine experiences offered by wineries.
Irpinia is a perfect destination both for visitors who want to immerse themselves in the authentic local culture and for those looking for an adventurous off-the-beaten-track experience.
WINERIES per la sezione hospitality
- Feudi di San Gregorio
- Mastroberardino
- Tenuta Cavalier Pepe
- Cantine di Marzo
- Fonzone
- Tenuta del Meriggio
- Villa Raiano
- Tenuta Scuotto
- Di Meo===============
Filippo Magnani,
Wine Tourism Expert
