Making a Case for Campania

The region of Campania, in the southwest of Italy, has two essential claims to fame: an embarrassment of riches and heartbreaking poverty. It’s a strange duality. On the one hand, this is one of the very poorest regions of Italy. On the other, there is startling beauty in both the landscape and the products that originate here.

Of all the wine regions of Italy, Campania – at the moment – may be the most under appreciated. Which, when you consider all that they have to offer in the way of food, wine, and tourism, is a little baffling. Campania is home to Naples, the island of Capri, and the Amalfi coast. The food that originates from here may sound more than a little familiar: Spaghetti alla Pomodoro (aka Tomato Sauce), Mozzarella di Bufala, Pizza(!), and Eggplant Parmesan. But when you think of Italian wine, you don’t think of Campania. You think of Tuscany and Piedmont – both of whom have excellent red wines, but are a bit lacking in their whites. In general, I would refer to that as two-dimensional.

Now take Campania: some of Italy’s greatest whites come from here, as well as some of the most powerful reds; the best part is, nearly all of the grape varieties they use are not only indigenous to the area, but are rarely grown anywhere else. In recent years – let’s call this time the Nineties, say – quality has skyrocketed, while prices have only inched up.

When you’ve been invaded as much as Italy has been, you tend to get a lot of interesting bits and pieces of culture and agriculture that endure long after the heathens have marauded and left. After having the Grecians, the Romans, the French, the Spaniards and the Bourbons (among plenty others) rolling through your fertile soil, you might be a little tired – but also a little richer. And yes, the very active volcanoes are a constant threatening presence. But that volcanic soil is sooo good for growing grapes. Wine-making smarts and technology (the good kind) have made their way there. So now the volcanic, chalky soil (Pompeii is here as well) is bearing fruit that is being treated with the respect it deserves.

Whites:
-Falanghina
-Well-made Falanghina is one of the most likable white wines I can think of; it has an alluring, slightly rich texture and aromas that range from pear to pineapple to, occasionally, banana (you’ll just have to believe me on this one). It’s as if somebody took a California Chardonnay and gave it some delicacy and grace, you know?

- Greco di Tufo
-Greco (brought by the Greeks) comes from Tufa soil, the chalky calcium-rich rock that is prominent in Campania. It is one of the oldest varieties in Italy. Usually, you get the essence of straw in both the color and. the flavor. The weight is right down the middle, making it very versatile in food pairings. Some of the best wines for complex food are relatively neutral, yet not boring. Greco di Tufo fits that description to a ‘T’.

- Fiano di Avellino
-I have to admit a particular fondness for this wine; any time a wine has any feature that you can find no where else, you kind of have to like it. In this case it is the smoky, almost chemical finish. When you’re drinking it on its own, the flavor lingers – it makes me want to close my eyes and feel the traces on my tongue. With food, though, that smoke compliments so many things: Grilled fresh fish, smoked trout, Pork loin or smoked jowl (Guanciale) – yes. By the way, Avellino is the village that is the classic place to produce Fiano, and is the ancestral home of Tony Soprano. It can be a little pricey (around the mid-$20’s), but there is an excellent and affordable wine called “Eliseo di Serra” by d’Antiche Terre that is blended with the Coda di Volpe grape that only costs around $14. Coda di Volpe translates to “tail of the fox”, due to the curled shape of the vine. Either way, that’s a sexy name.

Reds:
- Aglianico
-AHL-YAN-ICO is Campania’s great red wine. It can be a burly, funky, barnyard-reeking bastard of a wine (I mean that in a good way, of course), but it is clearly loaded with character. In inexpensive versions such as Feudi San Gregorio’s “Rubrato” bottling ($15), the grapes intensity is toned down without castrating it. So you get a distinctive wine that’s also really enjoyable. The Taurasi zone makes legendary (and more expensive) versions of this wine that age as well as Brunello or Barolo; as in, decades.

- The Others: Primitivo, Piedirosso, Sangiovese
-Primitivo is another of the main reds in Campania, along with the somewhat obscure Piedirosso and our old buddy Sangiovese. After much bickering, Primitivo has finally been proven to be the genetic ancestor of Zinfandel, which is now California’s Official Grape. Take THAT, Cabernet! Piedirosso (the red foot, named for its red stem), blends well with Aglianico to make some seriously age worthy reds.

So, what does this have to do with Portland? Well, Italian restaurants – and especially Italian wines – are pasted all over this city, as are Campanian dishes. We are one of the top Italian wine markets in the country. We take for granted at times the remarkable palette of choices available to us. So give these a try. I don’t think you’ll have to travel far to find them.

Jonathan Jenkins (you know, J.J.) has spent his adult life dedicated to food and wine (and other consumables). He is the owner, along with Amber Browne, of La Bodega Wine and Beer in Northeast Portland’s Lower Fremont neighborhood. You can see their website at www.labodegapdx.com