Brilliant, crisp, and flavorful, Fiano di Avellino is one of Italy’s finest white wines. Produced in Campania, it is considered one of the best expressions of the Fiano grape variety—native to Southern Italy and known for its fruity, nutty, and floral character.
Fiano di Avellino—designated as a DOCG white wine of Italy since 2003—is required to be produced using a minimum of 85% Fiano grapes. Small amounts of Trebbiano Toscano, Coda di Volpe, and/or Greco are allowed as accessory varieties. Fiano di Avellino DOCG is a dry, complex, and harmonious white wine and—with a minimum of one year of aging—may be labeled as Fiano di Avellino Riserva DOCG.
In addition to these well-loved still (non-sparkling) white wines, the Fiano di Avellino DOCG now allows for the production of sparkling (spumante) wines within the appellation. Based on the same grape varieties, Fiano di Avellino Spumante DOCG and Fiano di Avellino Spumante Riserva DOCG will soon be available.
According to the revised disciplinare for the appellation, the region has a long history and tradition of sparkling wine production, and the Fiano grape variety has a natural proclivity for use in sparkling wine. The requirements for Fiano di Avellino Spumante DOCG include the following:
- Grape Varieties: minimum 85% Fiano, with an allowed 15% (max) Trebbiano Toscano, Coda di Volpe, and/or Greco
- Production method: it is mandatory that the traditional method of sparkling wine production be followed (indicating that second fermentation occurs within the bottle)
- Alcohol content: minimum 12% abv
- Style: May be vintage (millesimato) or non-vintage; sweetness levels may range from dry (zero dosage) to sweet
- Aging—Fiano di Avellino Spumante DOCG: a minimum of 9 months aging on the lees as well as a total of 18 months aging in the bottle before release
- Aging—Fiano di Avellino Spumante Riserva DOCG: a minimum of 9 months aging on the lees as well as a total of 36 months aging in the bottle before release
We will keep an eye out for the first release of Fiano di Avellino Spumante DOCG! Looking forward to trying it!
Note: as with all such updates, the paperwork is still winding its way through the bureaucratic back offices of the EU. As such, while this update has been approved and announced by the Italian Republic—via publication on the website of Italy’s National Wine Committee as well as the Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana (Official Gazette of the Italian Republic)—the updated Disciplinare di Produzione has yet to be approved by the EU. In the meantime, the new style designations are allowed to be used on the labels of qualified wines. In the unlikely event that the change is not approved by the EU, the decree will be rescinded.
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Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org
