I Love Wine And Italy - Wine Touring In The Basilicata Region

So you want to tour Basilicata, a region of southern Italy bordering on the Gulf of Taranto and the Tyrrhenian Sea. This is the real Italy, one relatively neglected by tourists. Like most Italian cities, Matera has a lovely Cathedral but it also is home to a wide variety of churches, some of which are situated in caves. Talking about caves, the Sassi di Matera (Stones of Matera) are caves that have been occupied continuously by human beings for an estimated nine thousand years. This area has been used again and again in films because of its similarity to ancient Jerusalem. The Parco Nazionale del Pollino (Pollino National Park) the largest one in all Italy covers just under 750 square miles (more than 1900 square kilometers). If you like historic churches, be sure that you visit the neighboring villages, which hold spring and summer festivals with an Albanian flavor; many of its inhabitants are ethnic Albanians. The village of Noèpoli is home to the Palazzo Rinaldi artist's residence.

Basilicata is home to three DOC wines, Matera made in a variety of styles near the city of that name, Terra dell'Alta Val d'Agri a red or rosé made from a variety of grapes grown close to the Campanian border, and Aglianico del Vulture. I saved the best for last. This wine is vinified from the region's signature Aglianico red grape that grows on the slopes of the extinct Monte Vulture volcano. These grapes benefit from the combination of high altitudes, volcanic soil, good drainage, a long growing season, and lots and lots of sunlight. It is no wonder that some of the best Aglianico del Vulture DOC wines are really fine. Be patient, they reach their maximum in 6-20 years. This wine is also available in semisweet and sparkling versions.

The major white grape varieties include Malvasia and Moscato. You will probably do the best with the ones near Mount Vulture. The region grows some Merlot but the red focus is heavily on Aglianico.

Companies selling regional wine tours include Italy Cycling, Rustico Cooking, and Wine Tour Italia. Tenute le Querce in Rionero in Vulture has a wine bar/restaurant. As you may guess from its name La Collinetta Agritourismo in Nova Siri offers a rustic vacation as does Masseria Lanzolla in Matera. A few words of warning are in order. Make sure to verify ahead of time for opening hours and whether English is spoken.


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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but prefers drinking fine French wine with the right foods. He teaches computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website www.travelitalytravel.com and his global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com with a weekly column reviewing $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines.