Aglianico del Vulture is a red wine made from Aglianico grapes grown in the area of Vulture, which is located in the northwest Basilicata in the province of Potenza. In the year 1971 it has been awarded the designation of controller origin (DOC) and in 2010 the designation of controlled and guaranteed origin (DOCG) as "Aglianico del Vulture Superiore". Aglianico is one of the best Italian wines and represents, as similar in production and taste, the Barolo of the South.
In addition to Aglianico del Vulture DOC there are also other wines without the DOC mark, such as the sweet Aglianico, a dessert wine with a good body, and Aglianico di Filiano, that is grown in Filiano, a small village south of the Vulture.
The Aglianico del Vulture wine has a ruby garnet red color; a fragrant and vinous scent, with hints of strawberry and raspberry; a dry, fruity and harmonious flavor. 11.5 to 13% alcohol. Aglianico is considered old after at least 3 years of reserve and after at least 5 years of aging in oak barrels. Excellent with meats and roasts.
The Aglianico grape variety was brought to Italy by the name of Hellenica, by the Greeks. The Romans called it Ellenico and used it to improve the quality of Falerno, a wine much loved by the poets of those days. In the fifteenth century, under the rule of the Aragonese, it was called Aglianico.
