It is not easy to define my favorite wine region. I was born in Piedmont, land of some great reds, Barolo and Barbaresco, few whites but remarkable: Nascetta and especially Timorasso.

I love Pinot Noir and therefore Trentino is the region with the best Pinot Noir wines in Italy. And, when we speak about Trentino, let’s not forget the fabulous white wines they make there.

I was surprised to discover the Marche region thanks to my cousin who hosted me a few years ago and I discovered marvellous red and white wines, such as Rosso Piceno Superiore and Pecorino Superiore, of disarming complexity and smoothness, as well as fresh Verdicchio sparkling wines.

However, my favorite region has its roots in that emotional feelings that Christmas awakens in you: for me it is Basilicata, or Lucania – not a very known region, even for many Italians, alas.

Lucania is a handkerchief of land of about 10,000 square kilometres with about half a million inhabitants (the city of Turin has almost twice as many, to give you an idea). There are just two small outlets on the sea, one on the Ionian Sea between Puglia and Calabria, one on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania and Calabria. But enough geography. Let’s talk about wines.

There are many grape varieties that it is difficult to call autochthonous because they are shared with other regions such as Fiano, Moscato, Montepulciano, Minutolo, for example, or even international ones such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc.

The scepter of the majestic grape, however, is surely Aglianico del Vulture. It is autochthonous, because it is from Vulture, an extinct volcano, although Aglianico is mainly present in Campania with its highest expression in Taurasi, with which it shares the volcanic soil, as well as in Apulia, Abruzzo, Molise and Calabria.

Aglianico del Vulture was the first wine my grandfather made me taste when I was 6 years old in Melfi. A sour wine, scorbutic, untamable. For this reason it was later blended with “softer” grapes such as Sangiovese and Malvasia.

I loved my grandfather very much, but he had a lot to learn about wine from people who knew the properties of the grape variety and the terroir. In fact, as required by the DOCG, the only one in the region since 2010, the tannin must be softened for at least 3 years of aging (of which at least 1 in barrel). For the Reserve, it must be aged for 5 years (of which at least 2 in barrel).

I took this wine to the exam to become a Fisar Sommelier in 2015 and decanted and sold it during my time as a restaurateur in Piedmont, an impossible feat for many. I do not want to get into technicalities too narrow for most of the audience, but I hope I have at least instilled curiosity and a bit of emotion in this short story, because wine is emotion that gives life to the one who makes it and the one who drinks it.