Three Terrific White Wines From Campania

Irpinia is the historical name of the province of Avellino, inland in the Campania Apennines. That is the place that the Feudi di San Gregorio winery calls home. They are quick to note that they identify with Irpinia, not Campania. The winery was established by two families in 1986.

At Feudi di San Gregorio, they believe that a bottle of wine and a work of art arrive through the same creative process. They try to show the artistic side of the wine biz, with their labels all designed by Massimo Vignelli and a winery design from Hikaru Mori.

The 2020 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina carries the Sannio appellation and is made from 100% Falanghina grapes, aged in stainless steel tanks for five months, on the lees. Alcohol is quite restrained at only 13% abv and wine sells for around $23.

Despite the inland origin of the grapes, this wine smells like the seashore, with some nectarines, apricots and citrus thrown into the mix. The palate offers a showcase of minerality, with Meyer lemon and stone fruit trailing behind. Acidity is fresh and racy, perfect for pairing with a seafood dish, oysters in particular.

The 2020 Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo comes, naturally, from the Greco di Tufo appellation. The grapes are 100% Greco variety and the wine clocks in at 12.5% abv.  It retails for $28.

This beautiful white wine also carries with it a whiff of the sea, much like its cousin, Feudi di San Gregorio's Falanghina. The stone fruit comes across a little stronger on the nose, but the minerality and salinity fall right in line. This wine shows a less sharp acidity and would seem to be better suited to salad than seafood. It is, however, a delicious sipper.

The 2019 Feudi di San Gregorio Fiano di Avellino carries the Fiano di Avellino appellation. It is made from 100% Fiano grapes and has alcohol at 13% abv. Retail is $28.

The straw yellow wine shows stone fruit and salinity on the nose. The palate is savory, with a ton of minerals and a hint of apricot and lemon. The acidity is racy and the long finish is all minerality.

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FATA MORGANA GRECO 2009

This Italian wine proved to be a little hard to find in Los Angeles once it dropped off the restaurant wine list on which it was discovered.  My friend Marge found and fell in love with the '08 vintage of Fata Morgana Greco at an eastside eatery recently.  After putting in some diligent work tracking down the wine, she ended up finding the 2009 bottling.  She bought a case and is quite happy with her purchase.

From the Fattoria San Francesco Winery, the wine is made from 100% Greco di Bianco grapes sourced from a vineyard featuring 20-plus year-old vines in Calabria, in the toe of Italy's boot.  The loose, sandy soil over volcanic chalk and limestone in which they are grown makes its mark in the form of a nice minerality in the wine.  Fermented in stainless steel vats, the Greco undergoes malolactic fermentation - which tends to leave a creamy mouthfeel - and ages on lees for 8 months before bottling.  That means the wine is not removed from the dead yeast that drops to the bottom of the vat.  It gives a bit of a yeasty feel to the palate.

The nose is floral and tropical, and the wine feels full-bodied - not a surprise.  This white has a great acidity level making it very food-friendly.  It paired well with Sheryl's jambalaya and even with sauceless pulled pork.  I gave it big pairing points for its performance with sweet items, sweet-corn cornbread and pralines.  Fata Morgana has a 12.5% alcohol level and sells for around $15.

If you'd like to find it for yourself, here's how Marge did it.  "I bought mine through Susan Brink at Venokado, 7714 Fountain in West Hollywood.  She bought a case for the store when she bought mine."  You might want to hurry.