Medium gold color; white flowers, citrus blossom, honeysuckle, tropical fruits on the nose; lemon-lime, yellow apple, pear, pineapple, kiwi, almonds on the palate.
Dry; no tannins, medium acidity; slight honey notes add to delicious complexity. Medium body, silky texture. Brisk, fresh, balanced. Fermented in stainless steel, then aged for five months on the lees. 13% ABV
Made with falanghina grape, an ancient white grape in Italy and a signature wine from Campania in southern Italy. Naples is the region’s major city. The vineyard soil is heavily influenced by Vesuvian ash from the nearby volcano. Falanghina flegrea is thought to be used to produce the top white wines during the Roman period. It likely is the wine praised by Pliny the Elder, who some credit with inventing the phrase “in vino veritas.” Most similar to pinot grigio, but it has its own distinctive flavor. The grape also is widely used to make sparkling wine.
There appears to be two sub-varieties: Falanghina Flegrea and Falanghina Beneventata. The Sannio Falanghina DOC, where this wine comes from, grows the much better known and admired Falanghina Flegrea. The grape’s name comes from “falerna”—the Greek word for “poles”—because it was attached to stakes/poles in the ground instead of leaving the vine on the ground, as was the practice in ancient times.
Feudi di San Gergorio imagines itself as more than a winery, as their interesting website explains: “One of the cornerstones of Feudi di San Gregorio’s vision is the belief that a bottle of wine and a work of art share the same creative process. The love and passion infused in the cultivation of the vines, the effort in the picking of the grapes and the patient waiting for the wine to age, endow every one of our bottles with a personality of its own, transforming it into an authentic artwork.
“These are the same sentiments and emotions guiding artists in their creative process in making a sculpture, a photograph, a painting or an installation. In the light of this approach, Feudi di San Gregorio establishes collaborations with affirmed artists and young talents, towards cultivating a fruitful and ongoing exchange of knowledge and creativity between the world of art and that of wine. One of the cornerstones of Feudi di San Gregorio’s vision is the belief that a bottle of wine and a work of art share the same creative process.
“The love and passion infused in the cultivation of the vines, the effort in the picking of the grapes and the patient waiting for the wine to age, endow every one of our bottles with a personality of its own, transforming it into an authentic artwork.” Various artists are explored on the winery website.
Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina del Sannio 2020 DOC is refreshing delight made from ancient grape variety. Very seafood and shellfish friendly. Works nicely as an aperitif and solo sipper well chilled around pool, patio, porch, picnic. Pair with seafood; scallops, clams, crabs, shellfish; pasta dishes with white or light tomato sauces; chicken; pizza, especially cheese pizza with pineapple; vegetarian fare. Cheese—mozzarella is classic; sheep’s milk feta, gouda, havarti, majorero (Spanish hard goat cheese), neufchatel, saint-felicien (French cow’s milk cheese. $18-21
