Making The Case for Campania

BY ERIC GUIDO | SEPTEMBER 16, 2025

Excuse me while I get up on my soapbox. I have something important to say. Throughout my coverage of Italy, if I were to name one region that does not receive anywhere near the respect it deserves, it would be Campania. This is the most pressing theme on my mind as I begin to pen this report. Why? Because Vinous readers come here to discover world-class wines that represent the highest standards in quality, transparency of terroir, long-term aging potential and sheer excitement. Campania excels at all of these across a diverse selection of both red and white varieties. It delivers something for every level of collector and provides fantastic value compared to Barolo, Burgundy, Brunello di Montalcino and Bordeaux. And yet, discussions rarely center on which new Aglianico or Taurasi collectors are chasing, or which mature vintage excites them most. If you're a lover of Old-World wine that can age for decades, Campania should not only be on your radar, it should be a cornerstone of your cellar.

That said, I often find myself frustrated by Campania—both the producers and the consortium. For one thing, a language barrier that is not present in most of Italy creates a serious issue for tourism and general communication in Campania. Winemakers are often siloed, refusing to share information, taste each other's wines, or travel to learn new skills. Many still fall back on an outdated idea of tradition that runs counter to the trends in most other serious winegrowing areas. In the 1990s, Campania’s top producers pushed for maximum ripeness and significantly increased the use of new oak in an effort to tame Aglianico’s aggressive tannins, understanding that consumers were generally unwilling to wait for the wines to mature. However, this treatment often yielded unbalanced wines that lacked varietal typicity. These practices hindered the region for nearly three decades, but many individual success stories emerged during that time. Wineries like Montevetrano and Galardi gained international acclaim, but their success did little to elevate Campania’s profile as a whole, largely because the region lacked the coordinated promotional campaigns that boosted visibility for other Italian appellations at the time.

The 1980 earthquake that decimated much of the region also severely impeded Campania's growth. Rebuilding began, but many inhabitants ultimately decided to leave, creating a situation where many winemakers and vineyard owners found themselves without an heir to take over their operations as they aged out. This has set Campania back significantly while other regions have pushed forward. When I visit Campania, the visible scars of the earthquake, the dilapidated ruins and the uncompleted homes all serve as somber reminders of the difficult decisions faced by a generation that ultimately prioritized a new path forward over reconstruction.

Ungrafted 160-year-old Aglianico vines at the historic Starseto vineyard in the commune of Paternopoli, using a rare, pre-phylloxera training system.

However, an evolution has been slowly taking place beneath the surface, unfurling over decades as a small number of winemakers, dedicated businesspeople and scholars felt a responsibility to their region and its authentic traditions. This included Piero Mastroberardino, who took over management of the Mastroberardino winery in 1997, staying the course to create wines in the style of his father, Antonio. Interestingly, Mastroberardino remains unaffiliated with the Consorzio Tutela dei Vini Irpinia, believing that the organization prioritizes bulk wine over fine wine production. Luigi Moio, Professor of Oenology at the University of Naples Federico II, consulted across the region to raise the bar in vineyards and wineries through the 1990s. His work to reintroduce nearly forgotten varieties and understand the intricacies of Aglianico, Fiano, Greco and Falanghina paved the way for Campania’s quality winemaking today. In 2001, Moio took things to the next level, starting his own winery, Quintodecimo. There, Moio introduced a style focused on terroir, with a fixation on the utmost quality. In the southern region of Cilento, Giuseppe Pagano, a highly successful hotelier, reinvested in the area of his childhood, through both food and wine, establishing San Salvatore 19.88. Pagano started with herds of buffalo to create artisanal cheeses, then began making wine in 2006, showcasing the area's ability to produce Aglianico that could rival the best examples from the northern parts of Campania.

Raffaele Pagano, owner and winemaker at Joaquin, pursues single-vineyard wines sourced from old vines and aged for extended periods.

These are just a few examples, but many others held on while Campania suffered an identity crisis, eventually receiving the credit they deserve. Contrade di Taurasi - Cantine Lonardo, Guastaferro, Joaquin, Perillo, I Pentri and Luigi Tecce are all authentic, traditionalist producers focused on a sense of place and exalting the magic of old vines. Producers like Salvatore Molettieri, Azienda Agricola Tinessa, Luigi Maffini, Mazzella and Stefania Barbot represent a more contemporary style, treading a fine line between innovation and experimentation while still crafting wines that stand the test of time. I would be remiss not to mention Feudi di San Gregorio, which, despite their large production, maintains an incredibly high level of quality while also exploring individual terroirs through their Feudi Studi project. This critical mass of producers is the very reason I remain wholly excited about the state of Campania’s wine scene today.  

The Ups and Downs of Tasting Through Campania

Tasting through Campanian wines never gets boring. For one thing, while most wine-producing areas specialize in just two or three varieties, Campania works with five major varieties: the dark, tannic Aglianico and spicy, wild Piedirosso for the reds, along with the ageworthy yet fruit-forward Fiano and Greco, and the fun, playful, mineral-packed Falanghina for the whites. Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia, two ancient red varieties that nearly went extinct but have been brought back and celebrated by wineries like Alois and Terre del Principe, are also on the rise. Both are savory, structured and incredibly complex. As for the more off-the-beaten-path whites, we find the textured and aromatic Coda di Volpe, Caprettone (a key component of Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco), Pallagrello Bianco and the newly renamed Grecomusc, now known as Rovello Bianco.

Campania’s diverse terroir adds another layer of complexity to the equation. The fertile south, where mountains stand just a few kilometers from the sea, gives rise to rich, intensely fruited wines. This is a stark contrast to the acid- and mineral-driven reds and whites from the higher elevations of Irpinia in the central part of the region, while the hilly terrain of Taburno is something of a happy middle ground between the two.

Quintodecimo’s Mirabella Eclano vineyard plays host to Aglianico and Falanghina.

In each year’s tasting, there are no fewer than five or six vintages to consider. For this report, we have the newly released fresh whites (mostly 2023s), the longer-aged whites and fresh reds (2022 or 2021), and finally the various vintages of prestige-level Aglianico and Taurasi (2019 and 2020). Technically, a producer can release Taurasi after three years of aging, but nearly all choose to hold their wines in barrel or bottle much longer. This is both a benefit and a detriment for the region. While it’s a positive that collectors can source mature bottles, these release cycles mean the market doesn't respond to the excitement over good or great vintages because the hype has faded by the time the wines are finally released. For example, even though I reported in May 2024 that 2019 is a great Taurasi vintage, collectors are only now (16 months later) able to digest my reviews on 2019s from producers like Luigi Tecce, Cantine Lonardo, and others.

With that in mind, I decided to include a small snapshot of vintages and how they are progressing. I've also included a more detailed look at the 2023 vintage, the current release year for most white wines. Readers should note that Campania has seen its fair share of difficult seasons over the last four years, but from the standpoint of Taurasi, we are only just beginning to see 2020s entering the market.  

Bottle and barrel aging at the Galardi cellars on the slopes of Mount Roccamonfina.

Recent Vintages

2016: I consider 2016 to be one of the best vintages in Campania over the last 20 years, and recent tastings continue to affirm that belief. The 2016s are cool-toned and classic, with well-formed tannins and great aging potential. A collector with a stockpile of 2016 Taurasi will be smiling from ear to ear in another five to ten years.

2017: This hot, drought-ridden season produced large-scale, powerful wines that often lack complexity. The best producers made some excellent wines, but these are the exception, not the rule. Two thousand seventeen is a vintage where producers who focused on purity above power were more successful.

2018: The 2018s can surprise. This was a cold and wet year with high disease pressure, which resulted in many thin, diluted wines. However, the best 2018s possess a sultry beauty. In many cases, the darkest, most inward wines from a typical year took on lifted and gentle personas in 2018. That said, there is a vast disparity in quality, as some winemakers achieved greatness while others completely missed the mark.

2019: The 2019 vintage is a modern-day classic. The growing season was warm yet balanced, yielding fruit-focused wines with silky tannins and excellent potential for a drinking window of 20 years or more. The 2019s are hard not to like and possess a certain upfront appeal that will likely mean too many of them are consumed before they reach their ideal maturity.

Fiano for the Feudi Studi program in Feudi di San Gregorio’s Arianiello vineyard.

2020: The 2020 vintage was a rollercoaster year that seemed too warm and too cold at all the wrong times. A warm winter led to a chilly spring, followed by a searingly hot and arid summer. Autumn didn’t bring relief, turning cold and wet. The wines are larger than life and very rounded in feel. While Aglianico’s tannins help to add grip, the wines often lack balance. Even top producers struggled in 2020.

2021: The 2021s will always show a warm-vintage character, yet they strike a better balance than the 2020s. The best wines show depth and concentration, with a core of acidity to keep them in check. A cool and wet spring gave way to a hot and dry summer, but autumn brought cooler temperatures and precipitation. This allowed later-ripening varieties such as Fiano and Aglianico to achieve full phenolic ripeness. I’ve also enjoyed many Campi Taurasini (an earlier-released category) from 2021.

2022: This was an excessively dry vintage, with whites often showing pronounced ripeness and creamy textures. The region found some relief through the fall, yet harvests were pushed forward by a week or more. I’ve yet to taste enough 2022 Aglianicos to have a complete view of the year.

2023: As if Campania hadn’t suffered enough from the drought-stricken 2022 vintage, Mother Nature delivered a new set of challenges in 2023, drenching the region with non-stop rain and cloudy skies through the spring and early summer. These conditions sparked a severe outbreak of downy mildew, which required constant vigilance and made vineyard access difficult for tractors. Organic producers were hit particularly hard, as their copper and sulfur treatments were repeatedly washed away. After the wet start, June and August brought hot, arid conditions that briefly halted maturation. While improved weather in September and October allowed for an extended harvest, the risk of botrytis remained a constant concern, demanding strict selection and meticulous vineyard management. With a projected 35-50% reduction in quantity across the region, quality in 2023 depends upon the producer. As a result, readers should base buying decisions more on a winery's reputation than on vintage generalizations. I expect the quality of earlier-ripening varieties like Greco and Falanghina to be more affected than that of later-ripening varieties like Fiano and Aglianico.

I tasted the wines for this article in our New York City offices and during video meetings with producers throughout the spring of 2025.

© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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