Southern Italian Idyll - The Wonderful World of Mezzogiorno Pt.2

This week I continue my journey through the beautiful countryside of Mezzogiorno - Southern Italy...

Travelling west, and slightly north of Basilicata, we reach Campania, home of Italy’s capital of the south, Naples, and the world famous, and exquisitely beautiful, Amalfi coast. Famous also for being the home of Mount Vesuvius, and the ruined city of Pompeii, Campania has a far more developed tourist industry than its more southern neighbours, yet retains a simple charm, and unspoilt magic, in the countryside and less developed areas. Protected by the Apennine mountains, which rise to the east, it’s a great area for white wine production, with grapes grown on the unique ‘tufo’ soil, which is volcanic and chalky.

The region is now rapidly making its name on the quality wine map, through its classic grape varieties, which offer ripe peach, lemon peel, and citrus flavours, with a touch of sunshine. Try the Caggiano Fiano di Avellino 'Bechar' 2013, or the aptly named Greco di Tufo 'Devon' 2013 from the same producer (Greco is the grape, tufo is the soil it’s grown on). Falanghina is another white grape variety, growing in renown. The rich, wild cherry and herb-spiced Aglianico red wines are also worth a try, maturing gently and slowly in the carved out ‘tufo’ rock caves. Campania is the original home of pizza and spaghetti, and is also famous for its tomatoes, vegetables and dairy produce, including the unique buffalo mozzarella. With fish and seafood prevalent, the white wines are well suited to the regional cuisine.

If you head directly south of Campania, clinging to the coastline, you’ll reach Italy’s most southerly, least populated, poorest, yet stunning province, Calabria. With over 700km of coastline, it reaches deep south to the Messina straits which separate the island of Sicily from the toe of Italy by a mere 3km. Famous for its wines during the Greek civilization, Calabria has struggled for years, but has recently had an influx of interest, investment and focus, both for its wines and for its agricultural potential – yet it still has a magical, unspoilt feel as the tourists who flood Campania have not yet discovered this hidden gem.

Most of the wine is produced in the region of Ciro, near Reggio di Calabria and close to the Ionian coast. With summer temperatures rising to the high 40s, it was an area that struggled to produce wines of quality and freshness in the past . But in the last 60 years or so, the work of the pioneering Librandi family has transformed the vinous landscape, making quality wines at last a real proposition.

Nestled amongst the olive groves, and with copious lemon and orange trees adorning the gentle countryside, the winery is now producing some of the finest whites and rose wines in the south, as well as a spicy, fruity red from the Gaglioppo grape.  Try the Librandi Ciro Bianco, 2014, a glorious sunshine white, bursting with exotic, super-ripe citrus fruit and heavenly peach and wild herb scents, with an incredible freshness. You cannot visit Ciro without going to the Librandi family’s favourite restaurant, the tiny, simple, yet gem-like L’Aquila d’Oro in the village of Ciro. Don’t expect a menu, but the food is spectacular – from the poorest of cuisines, this family-owned restaurant delivers dish after dish of outstanding food, based on the simplest of vegetables, pasta and fish, with lots of fresh ricotta thrown in.

Finally, we skip over the Messina Straits to the island of Sicily, a glittering gem lapped by an incandescent, azure sea, with its fine beaches, remarkable scenery, and magnificent architecture. Sicily is a fascinating mix of contrasts, from the bustling activity and incessant noise of sultry Palermo, to the dusty roads and quiet tranquillity of the flora-rich centre of the island, and the hazy, lazy, sun-basked villages of the southern coastal side. It’s a melting pot of cultures and styles, with the southern Italian food and lifestyle culture mingled with influences from its close neighbour, northern Africa, which lies within sight of Sicily’s south-west coast.

Whatever else you do, you must go to one of the local markets – these veer from the raucous, frenetic, exotic richness of Palermo market, so vibrant in the colour - not only of its fruit and vegetables, but also the character of the market sellers and visitors -  to the quiet, hidden village markets on the edge of the sea, which open early in the morning and host stalls of glistening fish and seafood, fresh out of the sea, together with the best of anchovies, capers, olives and simple vegetables. It’s an unforgettable experience. Cuisine varies from the simplest of pasta dishes with clams, squid and tiny chilli peppers, with lashings of local olive oil, to the richer, north African-inspired couscous dishes found near Trapani and Marsala.

Sicily is Italy’s largest wine producing region, and, like its southern Italian counterparts, was responsible for making vast quantities of distinctly average wine, consumed locally, or shipped northwards. Now it’s a forward-thinking haven of quality and excitement. The pioneers of this change are the talented cousins of the Planeta family, who have driven this change from their winery in on the western side of the island, and have scooped up awards and plaudits all over the world. Set up 30 years ago, they hit the international scene by using the better known grape varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon; now they are focused on making stars of their own from the region's indigenous grape varieties – Greganico and Catarrato for the whites; Nero d’Avola and Frappato amongst the reds.

The scented, soft, violet and damson perfumed Nero d’Avola grape is responsible for some of the greatest reds on the island, such as Planeta’s Plumbago Nero d'Avola 2013, with its gloriously ripe, voluptuous, spiced blackberry fruit. The Planeta family are constantly pushing boundaries; their latest acquisition and project is a new estate and winery on the slopes of Mount Etna, where the volcanic rock and high altitude is helping the production of some stunning wines, both red and white. One of my favourite Sicilian whites is the Etna Bianco DOCG, 2013, a sophisticated beauty, made from the Carricante grape, full of lively freshness, ripe peach and lemon peel fruit, and an elegance derived from its location. Planeta also happen to make some of the best olive oil on the island; if Sicily is your destination, then check out Planeta’s very helpful website www.planeta.it, full of tips about the area, restaurants and wine tours; you can even book a room at their idyllic guest house on the estate.

Writing this blog has rekindled my desire to explore this fascinating part of the world further. Steeped in history, rich and evocative in culture, heady and exotic, yet simple and sparse; at the heart of these regions, is their lifeblood – food and wine, in all their myriad guises. I urge you to step off the beaten track and investigate this most beautiful part of the world - you'll be seduced.

By Angela Mount