Aglianico is widely regarded as the highest quality red grape variety of southern Italy, producing powerful, highly structured wines that often benefit from ageing.
Aglianico produces full-bodied wines with plenty of tannin and acidity, sour cherry and damson fruit with a marked stony character in many of the finest examples.
Aglianico is documented in southern Italy from the 16th century but is likely to have a far longer history here, quite possibly since Roman or even Greek colonisation, and may well be native to the area.
Aglianico is late ripening, requiring a warm, dry climate to achieve full maturity, and performs particularly well in volcanic soil. These factors have helped make Aglianico the most important red grape of southern Italy’s Campania and Basilicata regions. Aglianico is rarely found outside southern Italy but in recent times has been planted in warmer parts of Australia and California.
Despite suggestions that Aglianico’s name is derived from “Ellenico”, or “Hellenic”, there is no DNA evidence to support any link to surviving Greek grape varieties.
This grape variety is also known by the name of:
Aglianica, Aglianico Amaro, Aglianico di Castellaneta, Aglianico Femminile, Aglianico Mascolino, Aglianico Zerpoluso, Aglianico Tringarulo, Aglianicuccia, Agnanico, Agliatica, Agnanico di Castellaneta, Aglianichella, Aglianicone, Aglianichello, Aglianico del Vulture, Aglianico di Taurasi, Aglianico nero, Aglianco di Puglia, Cerasole, Cascavoglia, Ellenico, Ellanico, Gagliano, Ghiannara, Glianica, Fiano rosso, Gnanico, Gnanica, Ghiandara, Ghianna, Granica, Fresella, Olivella di S. Cosmo, Ruopolo, Prie blanc, Uva Nera, Spriema, Uva dei Cani, Uva Catellaneta, Uva di Castellaneta, Tringarulo
