BASILICATA WINES

Wine Touristic Itineraries in Basilicata

The Vulture area is one of the most renowned wine tours of the region, thanks to its evocative landscape and architecture. The tour usually starts from the hills and ends in the old town Centre. Instead, Venosa is the city of Aglianico wine, where it is possible to see the vineyards and how the harvesting of one of the most famous Italian wines is done.

Basilicata Wines: here are the best ones

We said Aglianico is produced in Basilicata, but let's discover the characteristics of this famous wine. Here there is Paternoster Synthesi Aglianico del Vulture DOC, one of the best wines to be tasted. For those who do not know this wine, the name derives from a "synthesis" of flavors, due to the territory, the specific harvesting technique used and to the care used in harvesting.  A ruby red wine with a fruity aroma of blackberry, blueberry, berries of underbrushes and pepper; with its dry and velvety taste, it is truly harmonic. Excellent with all game, red meat dishes and aged cheeses. It should be served at 14° C. Since 1925, Paternoster, one of the symbolic wineries of Basilicata, has been telling the story of excellent wine production, combining its passion and culture with those of the Tommasi family.

A softer Aglianico, Re Manfredi Taglio del Tralcio Aglianico del Vulture DOC is a fantastic reinterpretation in a modern key, conceived with a softer and more modern taste, capable of being tasted by everyone. The grapes come from Venosa and when they are ripe, it is practised the "cut off the vine-shoot", which involves cutting the fruit head in order to interrupt the flow of sap between roots and bunches. Thanks to this particular phenomenon of dehydration of the grapes, a concentration of fruit aromas are created. The grapes are harvested by hand, beginning the vinification process with a cold maceration and then it is aged for six months in a bottle. Red-purple color, fruit scent, on the palate it is soft with a fruity aftertaste. It is recommended with baked pasta, red meats, braised meats, and aged cheeses.

How to serve red wine?

A red wine must be served at a maximum temperature of 14° if it is young, whereas aged wines must be served at a maximum of 20°. In case they are sweet, the temperature can be between 14 and 18°.  As for glasses, as opposed to white wine, they often change. Young wines should be served in glasses of medium size, whereas the aged ones should be served in wide and bulging glasses. Even dessert wines should be served in smaller and regular glasses. Attention we are always talking about glasses!

Sparkling Wine among Basilicata Wines, An example of Excellence

In the end, let's talk about an excellent sparkling wine, Paternoster Spumante Assensi Extra Dry, again from the Paternoster family. It has a light straw yellow color, with light green hues and fine foam, whereas the scent has notes of white flowers and golden apples. The taste is fresh and harmonic, with acid in the finish. Whole grapes are pressed all together and only the must flower is used for the sparkling process. Fermentation takes place at a low temperature in a 50-hl autoclave. It is ideal for aperitifs, appetizers and finger food, but it can also well accompany delicate dishes of fish and vegetables, even ethnic cuisine, it should be served chilled between 6° and 8° C (46° and 46° F).

Centosanti Matera Metodo Classico is another Italian flagship wine, coming from vineyards in Matera, with Greek grapes and Malvasia of Basilicata. It undergoes fermentation at low temperature with 12 months of refermentation in the bottle. This wine has a straw yellow color with a fruity aroma with final spicy notes, a light froth and a smooth and intense taste on the finish. It should be served chilled, at least at 8° C (46° F) and it can be used for aperitifs, fruit desserts and aged cheese.

How is sparkling wine served?

It is served in long glasses called flutes, always not going beyond the ⅔ of the glass. This is true for dry ones. Whereas for sweet wines it is good to serve it in a cup, that is a wide glass already from the base, as opposed to tulip-shaped glasses for white wines. It should always be served cooler than white and rose wines, therefore it should be served between 6° and 8° C (46° and 46° F). Moreover, for the more aged and full-bodied ones it is possible to serve it between 10° and 12° C (50° and 53° F).

If you are wondering where to buy Basilicata wines on the website www.italianwinelover.it, you will find a wide selection of wines from the region in question, for every taste, but not only. There will also be Sicilian wines, Campanian wines e Calabrian wines,  to be ordered directly online from the best Italian wine wholesalers. On the site, you can find the technical sheet of the product, understand how it is made and take advantage of discounts to stock up your wine shop. Moreover, there is a wide selection of red wines, white wines, dessert wines, rosé wines e sparkling wines strictly from Italy.