Campania, the southern Italian region on the Tyrrhenian Sea, is perhaps best known for Aglianico, the marvelous red variety that is sometimes referred to as “the Barolo of the South.” If you haven’t tried Aglianico, here are some recommendations from my column earlier this year.
Beyond Aglianico, Campania, with its volcanic soils deposited by Mount Vesuvius, offers several notable but lesser-known white varieties that produce some of the more exciting wines on the southern Italian landscape.
With many wine lovers gravitating toward lighter, lower-alcohol whites, Campania’s offerings are an obvious choice and deserve more consideration. They are mostly unoaked and aged in stainless steel tanks.
Along with Campania’s soils, its hilly terrain provides a cooling influence that preserves acidity in the grapes. This translates to fresh and flavorful wines that pair well with fish, shellfish, cheeses, all manner of vegetables, and other lighter foods.
Among them is Fiano, the grape of the celebrated Fiano di Avellino denomination, named after the city and province of Avellino. With its crisp acidity, Fiano is marked by its freshness but also its vivid fruit, floral, and herbal notes. While relatively light, it can be complex and multi-layered.
Other notable white varieties from Campania include Greco and Falanghina. As the name suggests, Greco is thought to have originated in Greece, and in the top Greco di Tufo denomination, Tufo refers to tuffa, the chalky, compressed volcanic soil that gives the wine its minerality. Falanghina, which may have also come from Greece, may be slightly less complex but produces refreshing wines for everyday drinking. There’s also an example of the ancient Coda di Volpe variety on the list below.
Many of Campania’s most prominent wine regions are near Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano, and Mount Taburno. Beyond Avellino and the noted Irpinia region, other important areas include the province of Benevento and its Sannio subregion.
The white wines of Campania sometimes remind me of Etna Biancos, the high-acid, mineral-driven wines from the Mount Etna region of Sicily. Although the grapes are different, the style is similar: refreshing, textured volcanic wines that represent some of the better white-wine values.
Here are nine of the best white wines from Campania.
Tenuta Scuotto Fiano di Avellino 2023
There’s a nice richness to this Fiano, with aromas and flavors of peach, honey, and herbs, most notably a touch of mint. There’s also an almond hint and a mineral backdrop. Starting with the 2026 vintage, the property is certified organic. While many people think these wines should be drunk within a year or two of bottling, this one suggests that they can develop a richer character as they age.
Price: $20
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Villa Matilde Greco di Tufo di Altavilla 2024
This crisp, lemony wine has good complexity with a green apple note joining the citrus. An herbal touch offsets the fruit and the wine is marked by a long, mineral finish. Easy to drink, refreshing, and memorable.
Price: $23
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Cantine Iorio Falanghina Beneventano 2025
Cantine Iorio only produces Aglianico and Falanghina, and this Falanghina from the province of Benevento is grown in limestone and clay soil. Light straw in color, its rich fruit evokes honeydew melon with touches of honeysuckle, white flowers, almond, white pepper, and menthol. Aged for four months in stainless steel tanks, it’s a “summer” wine you’ll enjoy all year.
Price: $18
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Cautiero ‘Trois’ Greco 2023
Cautiero, a winery located near Mount Taberno, farms organically and uses four or five days of skin contact for its white wines. This golden-colored orange wine is bursting with concentrated fruit flavors, including candied apple, peach, apricot, lemon, and hints of grapefruit and honey. The flavors are supported by a mild tannic grip and excellent acidity.
Price: $18
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Contrada Fiano di Avellino 2024
This fresh, delicately savory wine has a nice richness that frames aromas and flavors of lemon-lime and a touch of honey. Hints of tomato leaf, herbs, and saline provide interesting accents along with the long, mineral finish. The ’23 is being sold here.
Price: $23
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Fattoria La Rivolta Fiano Taburno Sannio
Luscious fruit is punctuated by pronounced minerality in this notable Fiano. There’s a nice round quality to the wine, which shows apple, strawberry, and orange notes with hints of thyme and white flowers. La Rivolta has used organic farming practices for almost three decades.
Price: $25
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Fattoria La Rivolta Coda di Volpe Taburno Sannio 2024
Fattoria La Rivolta also makes a notable expression of Coda di Volpe — a lesser-known white variety in Campania — showcasing its fresh and elegant profile. Flint and almond hints punctuate aromas and flavors of white peach, apricot, and a touch of vanilla. The wine has a nice roundness and a long, mineral finish.
Price: $21
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Iovine Falanghina 2024
This is an excellent, under-$20 Falanghina marked by its freshness, ripe fruit, and a slight spritz when first poured. Aromas and flavors of citrus, mainly orange, are joined by pineapple and herbal notes that lead to a long, mineral finish.
Price: $18
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Villa Matilde Fiano di Avellino ‘Montelapio’ 2024
This is an enjoyable, easy-drinking wine that could easily be your house white for casual sipping or pairing with simple fish and chicken dishes. It offers green and red apple notes, a hint of citrus, and the region’s signature minerality. Crisp and refreshing.
Price: $23
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Next up: Affordable Barolos to drink now
