Basilicata, Italy

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Basilicata - Region Overview (Wine Context)

Location: Southern Italy, bordered by Campania to the west, Apulia to the east, and Calabria to the south, with a small coastline on the Ionian Sea.
Capital: Potenza.
Area: 9,995 square kilometres (3,859 square miles).
Population (2025 est.): About 540,000 people.

Wine and Viticulture Statistics

Wine climate: Continental and Mediterranean mix, with warm summers and cooler mountain influences, especially inland.
Main wine-growing areas:

Aglianico del Vulture DOCG: Primary wine area located around Mount Vulture, known for high-quality red wines from volcanic soils.
Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG: Higher classification with stricter ageing requirements.
Basilicata IGT: Covers a broader area allowing more flexible wine production styles.

Vineyard area: Approximately 4,500 to 5,500 hectares.
Annual wine production: Roughly 200,000 to 300,000 hectolitres.
Main white grape varieties: Malvasia Bianca, Greco, Fiano.
Main red grape varieties: Aglianico (dominant), Sangiovese.
Wine styles: Structured red wines, limited white wines, and some rosé production.
Importance: Basilicata is a smaller but significant wine region known primarily for Aglianico wines grown on volcanic soils around Mount Vulture.

Map of Basilicata

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Basilicata

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Basilicata Wine Region - Italy

Basilicata is a small wine-producing region in southern Italy, located between Campania, Puglia, and Calabria. Much of the region is mountainous, with vineyards often planted on hillsides and volcanic soils.

Viticulture in Basilicata dates back to ancient times, but the region remains relatively small in production compared to other Italian regions. Its reputation is built largely on one key grape and wine style.

Basilicata is best known for Aglianico del Vulture, one of southern Italy's most respected red wines.

Wine Classification System

Basilicata follows the Italian DOC and DOCG classification system.

DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)
Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG represents the highest quality level, with stricter production rules and aging requirements.

DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)
Aglianico del Vulture DOC is the main designation covering most of the region's production.

Main Wine Areas

Vulture Area

The primary wine-producing zone centered around Mount Vulture, an extinct volcano. Vineyards here benefit from volcanic soils that contribute to structure and minerality in the wines.

Grape Varieties

Basilicata focuses heavily on a small number of grape varieties.

Key red grapes:
Aglianico

Key white grapes:
Malvasia
Moscato
Greco

Wine Styles

Basilicata produces a limited but distinctive range of wines:

full-bodied red wines with strong tannins and aging potential
occasional white and sweet wines in smaller quantities

Climate and Geography

Viticulture in Basilicata is influenced by:

mountainous terrain
volcanic soils from Mount Vulture
continental and Mediterranean climate mix
significant day and night temperature variation

These conditions contribute to structured wines with good acidity and aging potential.

Summary

Basilicata is a small but important wine region centered on Aglianico del Vulture. Its volcanic soils and mountain climate produce some of southern Italy's most structured and age-worthy red wines.