Aglianico del Cilento Wine Region

The hills around Paestum grow Aglianico, a grape whose name derives from "Hellenic" - Greek. This may be the most direct Greek wine heritage in Campania. Small producers make powerful, age-worthy reds from vines whose ancestors came with colonists 2,600 years ago.

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1 Taste the Grape Whose Name Means 'Greek' in Italian Wine · Price: moderate

   It's called Aglianico. The root word is 'ellenico.' Every Italian speaker says 'Greek' when they order it.

   The synonyms for Aglianico include 'ellenica,' 'ellanico,' 'ellenico' - all versions of the Italian/Greek word for 'Hellenic.' Traditional scholarship says Greek settlers brought it to Cumae in the 8th century BC, but here's the twist: modern DNA analysis shows NO genetic connection to any Greek grape variety. The name is Greek, but the grape's actual origin is unknown. You're drinking a 2,800-year-old mystery. Visit De Conciliis winery in the Paestum area or any enoteca in Agropoli along the Cilento coast for Aglianico del Cilento DOC grown in UNESCO World Heritage landscape within Cilento National Park. Ask the sommelier: 'Do you believe Aglianico has Greek origins?' The debate will open immediately.

   Backup: Any Cilento DOC wine with Aglianico works. The Cilento also grows Fiano and Greco with equally debated Greek name origins.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Find the UNESCO Landscape the Vines Grow In Adventure · Free

   The Cilento National Park is not a backdrop. It IS the terroir.

   Cilento National Park covers 1,800+ square kilometers of UNESCO World Heritage landscape where limestone-rich soils create the specific terroir for Aglianico complexity. The Sentiero della Primula is a 14-kilometer trail through the same landscape ancient Greek settlers evaluated when they decided this soil was worth farming. Drive the SP430 coastal road or walk any viewpoint with both sea and hillside vineyard visible - almost all Cilento vineyards face southwest toward the Tyrrhenian Sea, catching the afternoon coastal breeze that dries the vines and builds acidity in the grapes.

   Backup: The park's visitor centers in Vallo della Lucania or Ascea have maps connecting landscape to agricultural traditions.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Ask About the Grape That DNA Science Cannot Explain History · Free · Optional

   Science looked for the Greek origins of Aglianico. It found nothing. The name remains.

   Modern ampelography ran the DNA tests on Aglianico. The result: it shares no genetic markers with any surviving Greek grape variety. Either the Greek variety it descended from is extinct, or the 'Greek origins' story is a name-based myth that solidified over centuries. At any winery or wine shop in the Cilento area, ask a winemaker: 'Do you think the Greek origin story for Aglianico is real, or just a story people tell because of the name?' Italian winemakers have strong feelings about this - their answer tells you something about how wine identity is constructed.

   Backup: Back labels of Cilento Aglianico often include origin mythology. Compare bottles from different producers to see if they contradict each other.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• Contact local producers directly

• Aglianico = Hellenic = Greek

• The wines need food

• Combine with Paestum visit