Basilicata Italy - Wine and Food

Basilicata is off the beaten track for most wine and food tourists.  Chances are that unless you are a fan of Aglianico del Vulture you have never heard of the region. The rewards for those who venture into the region are its rugged landscapes and villages that look as if little has changed over the centuries.

Italian Name: Basilicato Capital: Potenza Major Grape varieties: Malvasia, Moscato (whites) Aglianico (red) Best known wines:Aglianico del Vulture Food specialties: Luganico Sausages, Peperoncini

Wines of Basilicata

There is only one wine zone that is accorded DOCG status and that is for Aglianico del Vulture Superiore.
(If you don't know what DOCG means see this explanation of the Italian Wine Zone Classification System)
DOC Wine Zones

• Aglianico del Vulture
• Grottino di Roccanova
  
• Matera
• Terra dell Alta Val d'Agri

There is also the Basilicata IGT which covers the whole region.

The most important wine variety in the region is Aglianico.  This variety makes a number of excellent red wines, the most famous being Aglianico del Vulture grown in the volcanic soils around Mount Vulture.

White wines are made from the varieties Malvasia and Moscato.

Some food from Basilicata

The meat specialties include  lucanica sausages and ham. The name of these specialties derives from Lucania,  the ancient name of the region which roughly corresponds to modern Basilicata. In fact there are records dating from the Roman era mentioning these sausages. Lucan Ham is distinctive in that it uses pepper as well as salt and spices in the curing process. These rustic foods need to be paired with a strong wine such as Aglianico.

You can get a feel for life in this out of the way region by reading David Yeadon's Seasons in Basilicata