From the Vine: Devouring Pizza, Donnachiara Aglianico Wine, and the Movie

 The #ItalianFoodWineTravel group (#ItalianFWT) is kicking off 2022 with a fun way to enjoy Italian wines: with dinner, a movie, and of course, Italian wine!  I chose to pair pizza with Donnachiara Aglianico wine, which I think you will absolutely love.

A little about the wine area comes from Total Wine, where I found this bottle.  

Gorgeous Campania rises from its Tyrhennian Sea coastline, from ancient fishing villages and posh seaside resorts, past the city of Naples and towering Mount Vesuvius to hillsides lined with lemon groves, olive trees, and grapevines. Though this southern region doesn’t yet enjoy the same reputation for great wines as Tuscany or Piedmont, Campania produces excellent wines, unique to the area, that deserve more attention.

Campania’s long, warm growing season and volcanic soils can combine to produce powerful and concentrated red wines (from native varieties including Aglianico and Piedirosso) and aromatic, minerally white wines (from the native Greco, Falanghina, and Fiano varieties). The region includes four DOCGs and 15 DOCs.

The four wines with the highest quality designation are produced around the provincial capital of Avellino. The Taurasi DOCG produces a red wine made from Aglianico grape. It must be aged at least three years, including one year in barrel before it is released. This is a full-bodied red with great potential for further aging. The Aglianico del Taburno DOCG makes an approachable version of this varietal wine that requires less aging. Both Fianco di Avellino and Greco di Tufo and are top-quality, dry white wines; “Tufo” describes the soil, filled with tuff, or volcanic rocks, that predominates in local vineyards.

Aglianico is a high-quality Italian grape sometimes compared to Barolo for its intense and complex style. It offers naturally high acidity, flavors of black fruits, and high tannins that, along with full-body, make Aglianico wines good candidates for aging in oak. Aglianico thrives in the volcanic soils of Italy’s southern wine regions Basilicata, where it makes the famed Aglianico del Vulture wine, and Campania where Taurasi is a renowned example.

The Donnachiara Aglianico wine has layers of ripe plums, orange peel, sweet tobacco, and licorice on the nose. Smoke, ash, some tar, and cedar, too. It's full-bodied with firm but smooth tannins.  This isn't a wine that is normally paired with pizza, but the acidity works well with tomato sauce. Cheese-forward pizza along with handmade Italian sausages make for a great pizza pairing for this wine.

Now for the movie: From the Vine.  A Canadian executive tires of the rat race and moves to Italy to restore his grandfather's vineyard. Set in Italy, this is a beautiful movie of gorgeous landscapes, rebuilding of relationships, a movie with a big heart.  We enjoyed eating our pizza, drinking a beautiful Italian wine, and watching the Italian scenery.  A feel-good movie was a perfect way to spend our evening.

Other wonderful connections to this movie and wine are listed below. Check out how they intertwined this fun event.

• A Movie Set in Acerenza and Tumacë Me Tulë + Azienda Bisceglia Aglianico del Vulture Gudarra 2015 by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Enjoying Aglianico From the Vine with Pizza Montanara by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• From the Vine: Devouring Pizza, Donnachiara Aglianico Wine, and the Movie by Our Good Life
• How A Glorious Past Can Reinvent The Future in Basilicata by Grapevine Adventures
• Mila Vuolo’s Passion for Aglianico in Colli di Salerno IGT by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
• New Year Nibbles + an Organic PetNat Aglianico by Wineivore
• Organic Aglianico from Ciro Picariello by Avvinare
• Pairing Wine and a Movie: “From The Vine”and 2012 I Favati Cretarossa + Salsicce e Fagioli by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Why Aglianico Rules Among Grapes of Southern Italy by My Full Wine Glass
• Why Aren’t you Drinking More Aglianico? by Vino Travels