A Southern Italy White Fiano

I usually like this Italian grape...

Fiano Grapes

Today’s wine comes from Apulia, also called Puglia, on the Adriatic coast of southern Italy. This is one of the first times that I remember a back label in Italian only. But the company has an English-language website that’s quite attractive even if somewhat hard to read. Their estate is some 300 hectares (740 acres) about half of which is devoted to wine. They specialize in Italian grape varieties that you might find unfamiliar: Negroamaro, Aglianico, and Fiano. The mother company belongs to the Zonin family that has been in the wine business since 1821. Zonin possesses Italy’s largest privately owned vineyards and winemaking complex and is present in seven wine regions of Italy. They also own one American vineyard in the state of Virginia. Maybe, just maybe they went to the “Old Dominion” because the vineyard is located in the commonwealth’s Piedmont region. Be that as it may, Barboursville Vineyards wines were served to Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Virginia in 2007.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Masseria Altemura Fiano 2008 12.5% alcohol about $13

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Fiano is a variety whose home turf is believed to be nearby Campania. Puglia is making headway with this bold, crisp variety. Aromas of ripe apple, grapefruit, smoke and fresh herbs are front an center. Dry, racy, and fruity with good body and structure. Try it with moderately rich fish or chicken dishes. (VINTAGES panel, Sept. 2009) And now for my review.

At the first sips this wine was rich and round and tasted of grapefruit. The first meal centered on a dry barbecued chicken breast. The wine showed good acidity. It compensated for the meat’s defect and tasted of lanolin and honeysuckle. I tasted peaches that weren’t quite ripe. The meat was accompanied by green beans in tomato sauce and rice. In response the Fiano’s acidity was subtle. This wine was elegant. With fresh pineapple the wine came out weaker but still showed elegance.

My next meal was a boxed vegetarian lasagna made with ricotta and mozzarella cheese that I doused with grated parmesan cheese. The Fiano was delicate and tasted of almonds and lemon. It was somewhat oily (I find that positive) and very long. Dessert was fresh strawberries from the local market. Now the wine was weakened but not destroyed. When paired with another dessert, a high-quality ice cream bar coated in chocolate this wine showed a fine sweetness. It was subtle but quite long.

My final meal was a broiled Atlantic salmon filet marinated and basted in an agave nectar sauce. The Fiano was long and powerful. It was honeyed and tasted of green apples. Faced with slices of fresh red pepper it seemed unripe, but it was fairly long and there were almonds. With fresh tomato this wine was multilayered and slightly sweet.

The first cheese was a rather tasteless brick. In response this wine was floral and nicely complex. But when it met a slightly tastier provolone the wine was not very present.

Final verdict. I already bought a bottle for my wine tasting club. I like this wine and I like this grape. I’ll be on the look out for more wines from this producer and more Fianos. The poor pairing with the provolone couldn’t change my mind.

Access the companion wine A Wine Lover's Weekly Review Of $10 Wine - A Northern Spain White Viura

About the Author

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine websites include
www.theworldwidewine.com    and    http://www.wineinyourdiet.com

Visit his website devoted to Italian travel www.travelitalytravel.com

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