Collection: Aglianico

There's a popular notion that the grape Aglianico was introduced to southern Italy by the Greeks, about 500BC and that the word Aglianico is derived from Hellenico (meaning Greek). In reality these origins are far from certain but it is certain that Aglianico has a very long history in southern Italian vineyards where it has featured for many hundreds of years. This red grape has a jammy, raisiny stuffing to it which makes it seem ‘warm’ to drink, particularly with rich stews on chilly winter nights. It often has a lovely sinewy tannin structure and slightly higher acidity than you might expect from such a warm climate grape, and it blends well with other grapes too, especially Sangiovese.