Introduction

By Paul Caputo

Head a little way south of Naples and you reach the province of Salerno’s most scenic treasure, Cilento, a beautiful stretch of coastline that extends east into the Unesco protected Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano e Alburni, Italy’s second largest national park.

Although two well known regional varieties dominate the area, Fiano for whites and Aglianico for reds, a host of others are permitted at the producer’s digression to tweak things. Although the wines of Cilento are pretty much unknown outside the area, there are some interesting examples worth tracking down.

Gentle hills of clay and limestone slope this way and that, calmly climbing in altitude towards villages such as Moio della Civitella in the far east of the denomination. This is Campania’s most southern appellation but even within the Cilento growing area there are different personalities.