Aglianico del Vulture

Aglianico del Vulture DOC encompasses a broad territory north of Potenza in Basilicata stretching towards the Puglian border and centering around the area of the extinct volcano Monte Volture.  The soils are a mixture volcanic deposits and clay. Aglianico is the sole grape permitted int he appellation and it is believed to have been brought over to Italy from Greece. Its name derives from the Latin Ellenico or Hellenic. It yields robust, deeply coloured wines that has the potential to improve for many years. Youthful versions of the wine are also available, sometimes semi-sweet and even sparkling, but the dry vecchio or riserva, after ageing in oak casks, is the prime expression of this grape.