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Basilicata Meets Turkey with Sucuk-Paired Aglianico #ItalianFWT

 

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For March’s #ItalianFWT chat, Jennifer of Vino Travels has invited us all to explore the wines of Molise, Basilicata, and Campania. I don’t often get to play with the #ItalianFWT group as the wines are generally not available in Turkey. However, this year I am so excited because I have the wines to participate in almost every month’s event! A friend recently posted to the consulate offered me space in her shipping/alcohol allowance insert mad scientist laugh.

Aglianico del Vulture DOC

Aglianico del Vulture DOC(G) is THE appellation in southern Italy’s Basilicata. Located in the northeast of the region, the DOC and DOCG both cover the same area of 15 villages around the extinct Monte Vulture. Aglianico likes volcanic soils best so in both Basilicata and Campania you’ll find the grape concentrated around volcanoes. 

I got to visit Puglia last year as part of the judging panel for Radici del Sud. We tasted a lot of Aglianico wines on day two and one of the things we all complained about was that the grape is nicknamed “the Barolo of the South”. No! Aglianico is not Barolo; it’s its own grape with its own characteristics! Calling it that almost makes it seem lesser than. 

Aglianico berries have thick skins and high acidity and ripen late even in the heat of the south. Of course, many vineyards sit high on volcanic slopes where they enjoy significant diurnal temperature swings which help extend the growing season. There are three biotypes of the variety: Vulture, Taurasi, and Amaro (or Taburno) with the latter two coming from Campania. 

The DOC of Aglianico del Vulture was created in 1971. Wines for both the DOC and the DOCG must be 100% Aglianico – no blending allowed. For the DOC, there is no mandatory wood ageing required, but wines cannot be released before September 1st the year after harvest. 

Tenuta Del Portale Aglianico del Vulture DOC Palmenti, 2015

My wine traveled a really crazy route. From Tenuta del Portale on Vulture to the importer in Connecticut, then at least one store before arriving at my friend’s parents house in Washington state before taking the long boat (literally, it took 4 months) to Istanbul! 

Founded in 1990, Tenuta del Portale is a family winery belonging to the D’Angelo family. They have 15 hectares on the volcano and produce about 150,000 bottles a year, almost all of it Aglianico. The Palmeti is their top wine made from grapes grown at about 500 meters.  After the crushing and destemming, the grapes macerate for 8 to 10 days. Following racking and malolactic conversion, it goes into large Slovenian oak casks where it rests for at least 2 years then another 3 years in bottle. 

The first thing that impressed me about this was the alcohol level, 13.5%. It boggles my mind that we can’t seem to manage lower alcohol levels more consistently in Turkey. Deeply colored and dark almost all the way to rim, the nose was an explosion of grilled cherries, violets, and tobacco. Nice acidity on the palate gave the fruit a lift of freshness, still very cherry forward but more along the lines of a compote. Spicy pink peppercorns complimented the cherry flavor with a surprising minty note on the finish. Fine grained tannins were a delightful surprise as my previous (if limited) experience with Aglianico had me bracing myself to chew my way through the wine!

We paired this with two different kinds of grilled Turkish sucuk (a spiced and fermented beef sausage), grilled sourdough bread, chocolate cranberry sourdough bread, a green lentil salad over turmeric and garlic spiced yogurt, and of course, a selection of cheese.

But wait! There’s more!

With so much to be discovered in these three regions, don’t forget to read about the pairings from everyone else in the #ItalianFWT group!

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares Aglianico and Schwarma? Let’s give it a try….
• Camilla of Culinary Cam features From Campania: Pasta Named for a Patron Saint + Wine from an Ancient Tale.
• Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles highlights Campania, Calzone, and Aglianico.
• Andrea of The Quirky Cork offers Basilicata Meets Turkey Sucuk Paired Aglianico.
• Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog presents A Taste of Three Feudi di San Gregorio Campania White Wines.
• Susannah of Avvinare reveals Tintilia, A gem grown in Molise.
• Katarina of Grapevine Adventures discusses “Giovanni Piccirillo Brings a Fresh Approach to Winemaking in Alto Casertano.”
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley is Introducing Campania’s Key Grapes: Aglianico and Falanghina.
• And host Jen of Vino Travels gives A Glimpse into Molise with the Tombacco Biferno Rosso Riserva.

Please Help Turkey and Syria!

In light of the horrific earthquakes that have decimated large areas of Turkey’s south east and northern Syria, please consider donating to one of the relief efforts if you are able:

Animal rights organization Haytap is helping animals affected by the earthquake, and displaced people who need a place to stay with their pets.

Donate to search and rescue efforts in Turkey via Ahbap, Akut and Turkish Red Crescent 

Donate to civil society groups working on the ground to provide immediate relief and medium- to long-term recovery to survivors via UK-based Turkey Mozaik Foundation or US-based Turkish Philanthropy Funds.

To support rescue efforts in Syria, donate to White Helmet and SAMS.

Field Ready Türk‎iye (Sahaya Hazır İnovasyon Derneği) is a team of engineers working in Gaziantep, Turkey, and northwest Syria who make cheap, low-tech airbags for search and rescue from buildings which have collapsed. “If we move fast they can make more,” a good friend who previously worked with the team writes. “The workshops in Syria also have vast experience of fixing essential medical equipment, and making insulated shelters – both greatly needed right now”

Follow Jennifer Hattam on Twitter at The Turkish Life for continued updates on organizations accepting donations and needing local assistance.