Carpe Vinum (Part I)                                              

There is a word Italians use to describe an important aspect of their culture.  It is part ritual, and partly celebratory, in which the fruits of months, built on years of strenuous work in the vineyards, are gathered.  It is both an end and a beginning: a harvest that marks the end of summer and the beginning of a production phase to create what I refer to as sunshine in a bottle.  This alpha-omega word is vendemmia (ven-dem-e-ah). 

The vendemmie (grape harvests) we’ve participated in in the past have included a celebration.  Returning from the fields, all the participants are invited to the cantina to share a meal along with liberating the contents of many bottles of wine from the previous year’s harvest.  This pause occurs before the processing of the grapes begins.  More than simply purchasing and de-corking a bottle, the true enjoyment of wine involves multiple parts: the gathering of the grapes, the production of the wine, and the joyful celebration of its consumption.  This story describes the pleasing enjoyment of wine, beginning with the description of a visit to a nearby Italian casa vinicola (winery) where we had an opportunity to taste the extraordinary sunshine in a bottle from an award-winning winery.  Yes, this may be a little ‘cart before the horse,’ but there is established precedence in this each time we enjoy an aperitivo before a meal.  There are times Maria Elena and I will roguishly go so far as to eat ricotta pera torta dessert at Tre Rose before the main course.  Why not?  Why not eat intuitively instead of in an ordained sequence?  Following this line of thinking, I do not begin with the vendemmia, but its culmination, days, sometimes years later, as the finished elixir, a season’s bounty confined in a bottle, is enjoyed.

Our Dawn View of Mount Vulture

My story begins on Monte Vulture (Vul-tu-ray), opposite the seven-peaked, hollow crag we see looking outside our windows.  This precipice has lived up to its ominous name.  During WWII, in the plain among the vineyards extending from the foot of this peak, many Allied B-24 Liberator bombers from the 485^th Bomb Group, based at nearby Venosa, met their demise on the slopes of Mount Vulture.

In the distant past, this rolling and mountainous terrain witnessed the exploits 

of invading armies from feared Carthaginian General Hannibal to Norman, Swabian, and Angevin knights.  In the last century, its impenetrable forests served as a refuge for brigantaggio such as brigand and folk hero Carmine Crocco, as well as for enchanting castles and masterpieces in art-adorned rustic churches.  All were testimony to an ancient link between nature and human events which, over the centuries, seemed intense in this now serene region beyond our windows.

Today, you can drive into the volcano’s caldera and visit two picturesque lakes, have dinner at one of many lakeside establishments, and, while floating around the lake on a paddle boat, take in the Benedictine Abbey of San Michele high up along the crater's ridge amidst 

the incomparable charm of nature’s greenery.  Things have changed considerably in the 500,000 years since this volcano first emerged.

This extinct volcano is not only the epicenter of the entire process but is key to the regal wines in this part of Campania and Basilicata.  On the slopes of this ancient precipice, which rises to 4,350 feet, Aglianico vines thrive in an environment that includes hilly, windy terrain, mild winters, and summers that are neither too hot nor dry.  When the conditions are not perfect, high tannin levels in the grapes preserve the fruit. 

Along with an auspicious climate, the volcanic soil, the product of ancient lava, ash, and ejected lapilli rich in minerals and limestone, extends for miles.  

The soil is also heat-retentive, and its sponginess allows water to be absorbed for later release so as not to stress the vines.  It is a setting that grapevines love, leading to a final product marked with complexity and structure.  This combination of climate, soil, and topography, together known as ‘terroir,’ imparts a characteristic taste and flavor, making this wine one of the greatest red wines in Italy, as attested to in numerous honors and recognitions including the award of Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status for the Aglianico del Vulture wine of one particular producer, D’Angelo, in 1971.^[1] 

How this black grape came to thrive in this terroir is lost in the uncertain mists of time.  Even the origin of its name is controversial.  For a long time, it was believed that the name of this grape was derived from the word Ελληνικό, meaning ‘Hellenic’ or ‘Greek.’  However, it wasn’t until the period of Aragonese domination of the area (1442–1504) that it became “Aglianico.”  According to another theory, the term Aglianico stems from the Greek word agleukinosicos or "wine without sugar". ^{[2] [3]}

In any case, this king of the vines is definitely here and seems to have been introduced by the Greeks through their southern Italy coastal colonies during the Magna Grecia period around the 7th-6th century BC.  While physical evidence is scarce, literary testimonies to the wine include the famous praises by the Roman poet Horace (65 to 8 BC), originally from nearby Venosa within sight of Vulture and known for its wine production.  In Roman society which did not value teetotalling, Horace’s poetry linked wine with the god Bacchus (Dionysus to the Greeks).  Through this deity, Horace promoted the concept of wine as a liberator of poetic inspiration.  It was his muse.  In his day, Aglianico was a major ingredient of the historic Falernian wine of the Roman Empire.

We toured the D’Angelo Winery in nearby Rionero in Vulture some weeks ago.   As you might guess, the town is named after the volcano looming on the horizon.  Thankfully, Vulture hasn’t erupted in 130,000 years, which was reassuring to us.  We were with friends Annamaria and Joe from neighboring, lofty Pescopagano.  About an hour later, with Joe at the wheel, we pulled up to the historic Casa Vinicola, the D’Angelo winery, for a wine tasting.

The Seven Humps of Mount Vulture Seen from Rionero in Vulture

    The D'Angelo family has been an icon of winemaking for almost a century.  Their journey into the world of wine spans generations of the D'Angelo family.  While we waited for our English tour to

begin, we noticed wine magazine posters on display.  They had clearly earned the right to brag for Wine Spectator Magazine ranked D’Angelo’s 2019 Aglianico del Vulture vintage 49th of the top 100 wines for the year 2022.  

Currently at the helm of the business are a fourth-generation brother and sister duo who navigated this achievement, Rocco and Erminia.  Today, Rocco is the winemaker responsible for overseeing the entire process of winemaking from harvesting to bottling.  Erminia runs the commercial side as CFO and heads the marketing of Vulture wines around the world.  Together, they manage two vineyards, 25 hectares (62 acres), and produce 250,000 bottles/year with 85% of their production exported to US, Canadian, German, Swiss, and Japanese markets.  Daily, they see that the vines flourish, the vats fill, and their

wines are enjoyed worldwide.

Their success led them to the cover of the Wine Enthusiast Magazine, also proudly on display.  We were among wine elites, and we, part-time grape wranglers in Calitri, both with scarred fingers to prove it, were humbly impressed.  Covergirl Erminia D’Angelo herself gave us our tour through aisles flanked by wooden vats that culminated with the tasting of three varietals along with cheeses and meats at a table prepared for us among the vats that awaited us in the cellars.  

“Wine, great wine, is the sum of the culture of a place.”

This sentence summarizes the beliefs of the D'Angelo family.  It

reflects on their spirit of winemaking passed down, generation to generation, and speaks to the uniqueness of their vineyards.  Wine is emotion, tradition, culture, love, and definitely a passion.

  Walking through the cellar, we learned that traditional methods of winemaking are being augmented with the introduction of large innovative concrete tanks constructed in the 1960s.  Ancient Romans used large amphora jars made of terra-cotta to ferment and age their wines.  Today's modern rectangular concrete tanks not only help keep the wines at a constant temperature but while allowing for the optimum utilization of available space, promote slow and natural maturation with good oxygenation of the wine.  This is key to the evolution of Aglianico in a process that promotes the softening, fermentation, and aging of the crushed grape slurry.  Further aging, for periods up to 24 months, is performed in the barrel cellar where row upon row of 

French barrique casks, along with small and large barrels, afford a wide range of refinement.  Their stained tops attest to vigilant sampling. 

A highlight of our tour was sampling D’Angelo varietals from a venue of fourteen different product lines.  In addition to their full-bodied Aglianico wines, their wine roster includes grappa, merlot, rose, Moscato, and malvasia varietals.  Had we sampled them all, returning to Calitri would have been problematic.  Instead, we sampled three 100% Aglianico wines ranging in quality from buono, to meglio, to migliore (good, to better, to best), all of which varied in the vinification technique employed followed by the number of months aged.

Their Sacravite, a name derived from the word ‘sacred,” is an IGT-classified, youthful, and informal wine ranked a tier above Vino da Tavola (table wine).  It has a very short eight-day rest period

in large barrels to keep the grapes' most fragrant and fruitiest characteristics intact, with further refinement for a brief period in standard barrels.  It presented an intense bouquet with every sip followed a few swirls later by a robust, soft, consistent flavor.

This was followed by the Wine Spectator Magazine’s top 100 ranked Aglianico del Vulture drawn from 25-year-old vines, but as would be expected, not from the winning year vintage.  It has a maceration of ten days with the grape skins retained.  Follow-on refinement lasts 18 months in oak barrels to promote a tannin charge with an additional month of maturity in a bottle.  It has earned a DOC ranking based on strict rules of winemaking and geographical qualifications, followed by analysis and testing by a government-approved panel.  Its color was a fairly

intense ruby red that we learned, with further aging turns garnet.  Its fragrance was that of berries, and as expected, this offspring of an award winner presented dry due to the tannins.  In its youth, this wine is at times impetuous, more rustic, and harsher.  With time, it has the potential to improve in the bottle for 6 to 20 years.^[1]  Those patient enough to have waited, claim it to be soothingly mellow with its components in harmony with soft tannins and a silkier texture.  This chemistry is what makes it an award winner.

Our final and top-of-the-line migliore wine was Canneto, a name derived from the numerous reeds found in the vineyards, used to guide the direction of a vine’s growth.  This wine features a medium-to-long vinification process of 15 days in large 8000-liter vats followed by refinement of 18 months in French barriques (it was one of the first wines to be aged in barriques in Southern Italy) with a further six months in a bottle.  An intense ruby red color with hints of crimson, along with a subtle fragrance, urged me to take more than a sip.  Magically robust, soft, and

velvety, I could only imagine how letting it breathe for 30 minutes beforehand would have added to the complexity of its aroma.  Wanting to know, we purchased a bottle.  By all the requirements, it qualifies for DOC status but still retains its IGT ranking.  When I asked Erminia about this apparent anomaly, hers was an interesting reply.  The fact that it retains an IGT ranking is by choice.  Its label dates back 35 years, making it not only historic but a well-known D'Angelo product, readily identifiable to its consumers.  More than simply adding a DOC label to the neck of each bottle, a change to DOC would result in a change to the label and possibly impact sales.  The change might also result in a rise in unit cost, which could result in a loss of consumers. 

    We savored many a season's bounty that day.  Our visit to the D’Angelo winery, followed by an opportunity to participate in the simple pleasures of the vendemmia (my topic next month), gave us pause to appreciate the labor, history, and culture represented in every bottle of wine we consume.    When uncorked, each bottle releases a stimulating tonic

representative of the labor of many hands and the wisdom of lifetimes.  For some, like Rocco and Erminia, it lies deep and is more than a vocation.  It is more a labor of love and part of the heritage and upbringing they unknowingly acquired each day as children.  Many years have passed since those carefree days when Rocco and Erminia played hide and seek among the casks in the family-owned vines and in the wine cellar.  Now as then, in childlike wonder, they see the grapes ripen and the vats being filled year after year.  Things never seem to change, only the genies behind the magic.  They, along with the alchemy of the terroir, thanks to the presence of Mount Vulture, make its presence felt to this day.  The result is a wine with an award-winning rich and balanced flavor, whose strong and decisive character is enough to give our taste buds a long and deep stimulation and is yet another reason why this brother and sister strive to bring Italy to the world and the world to Italy.  As Horace would insist, “Carpe Vinum”… Seize the Wine!

From That Rogue Tourist,
Paolo

    [1] Aglianico del Vulture, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aglianico_del_Vulture

    [2] Aglianico-del-Vulture, https://www.dangelowine.com/en/aglianico-del-vulture/

    [3] Oxford Bibliographies, https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-               9780195399301/obo-9780195399301-0483.xml