Vesevo Beneventano Aglianico 2008

A richly robed red wine from Italy’s scenic Campania, the 2008 Vesevo Beneventano Aglianico accentuates the seductive side of southern Italy’s most magical varietal. Vesevo’s Aglianico comes across as lush and juicy, a potion loaded with the scent and savor of ripe red cherries and plump black fruits. Furthermore, this ingratiating red caresses the nose and glides across the palate. It offers plenty of lush berry fruit flavors along with ample spice and tannin to harbor the seeds of greatness. Although amiable from the moment the cork exits the bottle, the 2008 Vesevo Beneventano Aglianico shines even brighter after 15-20 minutes of aeration. Moreover, it will most assuredly develop further depth and complexity with additional time in the bottle, so no need to rush this youthful beauty.

In Italy’s Campania, heart-healthy Mediterranean specialties and full-flavored meats and cheeses represent the traditional choices to accompany Vesevo’s 2008 Beneventano Aglianico, and this wine certainly does provide the perfect foil to the region’s robust, fare. It provides a wonderful complement to traditional southern Italian recipes, especially lentil and bean dishes such as Pasta e Fagioli. Homemade pasta served with a thick red tomato sauce, laden with plenty of garlic and olive oil also provides a splendid backdrop to the Vesevo Aglianico. Grilled lamb rubbed with copious quantities of mint, rosemary, and thyme constitutes one of the most traditional hometown companions to Aglianico, and it also happens to be one of the panel’s favorite , too. Calzones, oven baked pizzas, Eggplant Parmigiana, grilled Italian sausage, Veal Sorrentino, and thick, spicy, homemade minestrone soup provide other fine choices with Vesevo’s full-bodied Aglianico. Old-fashioned burgers and rib-eye steaks, served with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans, offer additional tasty . Buon Appetito!

Vesevo draws its name from the ancient name of the volcano Mount Vesuvius, as it pays homage to the traditional grapes and winemaking of Italy’s Campania. Known as Enotria, “land of the vine” or “land of the vine posts,” winemaking around mighty Vesuvius dates back to the days before Ulysses. Mycenaean and Phoenician sailors found that grapes grew in abundance in this part of Magna Graecia and spread the vines of ancient Greece along the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea and surrounding Bay of Naples. Homer in Book XI of The Odyssey expounds upon the proliferation of the vine in Enotria. And after more than 2,500 years of continuous cultivation, Vesevo continues the rich traditions and superb winemaking of this blessed land we now more commonly refer to as the Amalfi Coast. Thanks to a favorable climate, modern technology, and expert winemaking, Vesevo fashions an enviable assortment of wines that embody thousands of years of winemaking tradition. They work exclusively with the Campania’s ancient varietals, most notably Aglianico (derived from the word Hellenic, which refers to the vine’s earliest origin), Falanghina, Greco di Tufo, and Fiano di Avellino. In the past several years, Vesevo has garnered much deserved praise and critical acclaim for their outstanding work with Campania’s traditional varietals.

Italy’s Campania retains the allure and magic of ancient mythology. From the mystifyingly beautiful Amalfi Coast that still manages to conjure visions of gods and sirens, pleasure and lore, to the volcanic, fog shrouded spine of the Appenines that bisect the Italian peninsula, the Campania never fails to enchant. Known to the Romans as the Campania Felix, meaning the “joyous country” or the “face with an open smile,” the Campania is the ancient province of the Roman Empire that sits just south of Rome and neighboring Latium. As its name implies, this region produces friendly, gregarious wines in addition to an abundance of high quality produce. At the height of the Roman Empire, the Campania served as the granary of Rome, supplying sustenance to the capital and provisions to the legions of soldiers and magistrates who administered an empire. Today, Campania continues the tradition by furnishing Rome and Naples with a host of culinary delights, most notably fresh, delicious fruit, vegetables, and of course wine. And although Campania languished for more than a century from the deleterious effects of war, political neglect, and phylloxera, it has in the past few decades witnessed a renaissance in its wine industry. Specifically, Campania has re-focused its attention on its traditional assets: a host of premium grape varieties, both indigenous and transplanted, such as Aglianico, Piedirosso, Falanghina, Greco di Tufo, and Fiano di Avellino to name just a few. Aglianico, the highly flavorful red variety the Greeks brought to southern Italy more than 2,500 years ago, has in this century emerged as one of Italy’s greatest red grapes, yielding staggeringly rich wines of depth, power, and age-ability. In the Campania, Aglianico can match the finest red wines made anywhere in Italy, including the best wines of Tuscany and Piedmont. And what could be more exemplary of the good nature and open character of the land and people of the Campania than the region’s fabulous white wines? Greco di Tufo and Fiano Di Avellino have re-claimed their rightful places among the finest seafood wines in the world, and the list goes on. So no matter if red or white is your preference, the wines of Campania are sure to put a smile on your face.