Each Saturday, David Brenner of Villasfor2 in Abruzzo selects a delicious, top-value 'Everyday Italian Wine' for you to try at home - or on your Abruzzo holiday !

Falanghina 'Ante Hirpis'. 2006. Vinicola del Sannio
This is a wine that's divided opinion among the staff at Villasfor2 HQ. 50% (me) rather like it; 50% (Pauline) don't. It comes from a part of the Campania region to the north-east of Naples and is made by the Vinicola del Sannio in the hilly Benevento area only a few miles into Campania from neighbouring Molise.

Del Sannio are fairly typical of a new breed of winemakers in Campania, producing DOC varietals from heritage grapes like Greco and Fiano in addition to Falanghina. 

Falanghina, (say it with a hard 'g' as in 'got'), is an ancient grape variety that allegedly was known to the Romans. To me, the wine it produces is rather reminiscent of the Portuguese vinho verde - sharp, dry and astringent. Not the most instantly appealing combination of virtues perhaps - but clean, lively and refreshing too, with distinct hints of green apple.

Take that vino verde comparison a stage further and team up this Falanghina with char-grilled sardines. And I bet it'd be pretty good too with smoked salmon and smoked mackerel.

The 'Ante Hirpis' range - which also includes a Greco and a Fiano varietal - is an appealingly-packaged, no-frills, IGT offering that you're going to become increasingly-familiar with as wines from Campania become more widely-known. I've already noticed Falanghina on a handful of high-profile retail wine-lists in the UK at around the £10 mark - and on offer in restaurants and winebars. As an alternative to more familiar Italian whites, it has to be worth a try.

At A Glance…

• This week's featured wine: Falanghina 'Ante Hirpis'
• Vintage: 2006
• Producer: Vinicola del Sannio
• Designation: IGT
• Grape: 100% Falanghina
• Strength: 12%
• Closure: Plastic cork
• This bottle cost: €4.75

Click on pictures in text for larger images - and if you like Italian wine, why not check out last week's 'Everyday Italian Wine' and bookmark this site for future weekly posts.

Next week: Teroldego Rotaliano - a fine red from the winery just named by  the prestigious Vino Almanacco as Italy's 'Cantina dell'Anno, 2008' and perfect for you to try at home - or on your Abruzzo holiday !

Abruzzo holiday, Everyday Italian Wine, villas for two

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 24th, 2008 at 2:28 am and is filed under David's 'Everyday Italian Wine', Eating and Drinking, Vineyards. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.