Walking between Tramonti and Furore, we wondered how anyone could grow vines on such steep slopes. The answer lies in the terraces, built by hand over the centuries. The Costa d'Amalfi DOC is born right here, between the sea and the Lattari Mountains, and we will tell you how to recognise it.
The production area
The Costa d'Amalfi DOC covers thirteen municipalities in the province of Salerno, along the whole coast: Vietri sul Mare, Cetara, Maiori, Minori, Ravello, Scala, Atrani, Tramonti, Furore, Praiano, Positano, Amalfi and Conca dei Marini. The vineyards do not rise above 650 metres and grow on limestone soils, held up by dry-stone walls, the macère, on average 3-4 metres high and sometimes much more. The vines are often trained on pergolas, suspended above the terraces.
Grapes, types and sub-zones
The white is made from at least 40% Falanghina and/or Biancolella; the red and rosé from at least 40% Piedirosso, with Sciascinoso and Aglianico. The types are white, also passito and spumante, red, also passito and riserva (two years of ageing, one in wood), and rosé.
There are three sub-zones, with stricter rules:
- Furore, with Furore, Praiano, Conca dei Marini and Amalfi;
- Ravello, with Ravello, Scala, Minori and Atrani;
- Tramonti, with Tramonti and Maiori.
This is where the coast's rare grapes come into play, such as Pepella, Ripoli, Fenile and Ginestra for the whites of Furore and Tintore for the reds of Tramonti.
History and recognition
The production rules recall that vines on the coast are documented as early as around 860, and that in the following centuries vineyards multiplied until they became the main crop on many estates. The appellation was recognised by decree of 10 August 1995 and updated in 2011 and 2014. The terraced landscape is part of the Amalfi Coast, inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List in 1997.
Food pairings
The white is the natural companion of the coast's seafood cooking: we have tried it with seafood scialatielli, with seafood salad and with pasta dressed with colatura (anchovy extract). The red goes with white meat and the traditional pasta dishes of Tramonti, while the rosé is perfect in summer with oily fish.
The Salerno appellations are overseen by the Consorzio di tutela Vita Salernum Vites, recognised by the Ministry, as reported in the Campania Region's Guida Catalogo 2024.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
Between one vineyard and the next, we recommend The Fjord of Furore, Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone in Ravello and the panoramic Path of the Gods. In Amalfi, do not miss Amalfi Cathedral and the Cloister of Paradise, and at the table try scialatielli all'amalfitana and Colatura di alici di Cetara.
The other appellations of the province are in The wines of Salerno; for an itinerary through the region's wineries, start from The wines of Campania, and for the coast from Amalfi: what to do and what to see and Salerno and its surroundings.
Sources: Costa d'Amalfi DOC production rules; MASAF, lists and production rules for DOP and IGP wines; Campania Region with AIS Campania, Guida Catalogo 2024 of the wine-growing and wine-making companies of Campania.
Photo at the top (Amalfi): No machine-readable author provided. Sudodana2048 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.