While wondering around one of the local wine stores a number of years ago, we stumbled on a white Italian wine with an unusual name in an unusual bottle from a producer in the Campania region called Taburno. For a price of $17, it was worth a try. Since that time, it is one of our favorite Italian white wine, especially for the summer months.
The wine has gained in popularity over the last several years, as more and more people experience the unique characteristics of Falanghina, and many of us wine geeks write about it.
This grape grows well in the southern Italian regions of Basilicata and Campania. A great description of the Falanghina grape and its history can be found on Viviwine.com. They note that Falanghina was almost lost forever during a phylloxera plague, but was brought back to life by the Martusciello family in the 70’s. The wines from Basilicata tend to have riper flavors, and are more full-bodied than the Campania versions. The Campania versions tend to be more acidic, and have a refined structure. It is typically a medium to full bodied wine, having lots of aroma of honeysuckle, stone fruits, honey, but with some sweet herbs such as mint. Taburno’s Falanghina has a pronounced taste white peaches, crisp green apples, and mint, but also has a nice mineral taste on a silky-textured frame. It is very easy to drink on its own, but works well with simple summer flavors such as prosciutto and melon, caprese salad, and pasta salads with vegetables. It even works with harder to match flavors such as asparagus and artichoke.
Other favorite Falanghina producers:
- Feudi di San Gregorio – Price: $17
- Mastrabernadino – Many different versions, but our favorite is the Sannio. Price: $19.
- Terredora – Price: $19.
