Aglianico, a dry red varietal still wine made from the Italian grape Aglianico.
This topic is for ratings and reviews of the red varietal still wine Aglianico, made from the Italian grape Aglianico. The two best-known Italian Aglianico wines are Taurasi and Aglianico del Vulture. Wines produced from Aglianico tend to be full bodied with rich flavors, firm tannins, and high acidity, making it a wine that has aging potential. The Aglianico grape also has recently been planted in Australia, Greece, and California.
Italian wines may be labelled in several different ways, instead of the region-first rule that dominates most of Europe. First, like the rest of Europe, Italian wines may be labelled by the region they come from, such as Chianti or Soave. The wines also may be labelled by the grape variety, such as Barbera or Pinot Grigio. Sometimes you will also see a region designation appended, like d'Asti or di Montalcino. The wine also may be labelled by a traditional name, or by trademarked names, like "Rubesco" or "Summus." There also are the regulatory designations, which can apply to any of the labelling types above. The best of the wines in Italy qualify for designation as DOC or DOCG quality, although only about one-fourth of Italian wine is of sufficient quality to be classed as such.
Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of grape juice. The most basic division of wine is into color: red, white, and rosé (or "blush"). Wines are categorized as still wines, sparkling wines, dessert wines, and fortified wines. Dessert wines are sweet, as are fortified wines, such as port and sherry, which have other liquors such as brandy added to them. Aromatic wines, such as vermouth, have been flavored with herbs. Sparkling wines, such as Champagne, contain carbonation and thus are "sparkly" or bubbly. Still wines ("still" since they aren't bubbly from carbonation), are either varietals or blended wines. A varietal wine is any wine that takes its name from its predominant grape variety, as opposed to a blended wine, which is a blend of different grape varieties. A vintage wine date denoted on the label of the wine indicates the year in which 95 percent of the grapes used to make the wine were harvested. Non-vintage (NV) wines are blends of grapes harvested in different years, denoted by the absence of a year on the label.
The names of wines reflect a dichotomy between "Old World" and "New World" that exists in the world of wine. "Old World" refers to traditional wine-producing nations of Europe and the Mediterranean, such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany. "New World" refers to those countries where the wine-growing industry has been established since the arrival of European influences, such as USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. The names of wine everywhere start with the name of the winemaker (or negociant who "assembled" the wine). What comes next in the name is where the dichotomy begins. Varietal "New World" wines are named for the most prominent grape variety used to produce the wine, such as "Cabernet Sauvignon," but blended "New World" wines are named in various ways, sometimes just as, e.g., "red table wine." "Old World" varietal and blended wines usually are named after their region of origin, or appellation. Appellation refers to the country, state, county, or viticultural area in which the grapes were grown, such as "Bordeaux" or "Napa Valley." "Old World" wine labels always include the appellation and sometimes include the variety of grape. "New World" wine labels always include the variety or varieties of grape and frequently include the appellation.
Rate and review the Aglianico wines listed below, or go to the Actions section to ask that another Aglianico wine be added to the list. Make sure to include the year of production (or if no year appears on the label, insert NV for non-vintage), the appellation or viticultural area, and the price, rounded off. Examples: Villa Carafa 2001 Aglianico Sannio (Italy) ($15); Caggiano 2001 Taurasi Vigna Macchia dei Goti (Italy) ($39).
