Among the vineyards of the Valle Telesina and the slopes of Taburno, we understood why Falanghina has become the emblematic white of Sannio. Here the vine shapes the hilly landscape almost everywhere. Let us tell you about the appellation that bears the name of both the grape and its land.
The production area
The Falanghina del Sannio DOC covers the whole territory of the province of Benevento, with hillside vineyards reaching from the Calore valley up to the slopes of the Taburno massif. The production heartland is the triangle formed by Guardia Sanframondi, Castelvenere and Solopaca, but Falanghina also thrives around Torrecuso, Foglianise and Sant'Agata de' Goti. A few kilometres away is the provincial capital, Benevento, an excellent starting point for a tour of the wineries.
Grape, types and sub-zones
The production rules require at least 85% Falanghina, with the balance from other non-aromatic white grapes. There are six types: the still white, spumante, quality spumante, traditional-method spumante (at least 12 months on the lees), late harvest and passito, which cannot be released before 1 June of the year after the harvest.
The label may carry one of the four sub-zones:
- Guardia Sanframondi (or Guardiolo), with San Lorenzo Maggiore, San Lupo and Castelvenere;
- Solopaca, on the hills of the Valle Telesina;
- Taburno, on the slopes of the massif, from Apollosa to Bonea and Campoli del Monte Taburno;
- Sant'Agata dei Goti, limited to the municipality of the same name.
History and recognition
In Sannio the vine has very ancient roots: the production rules recall the wine amphorae from the 2nd century BC found at Dugenta and the revival of winegrowing around the year 1000, thanks to the monasteries. Single-varietal Falanghina, however, is a recent story, which began in the 1970s when local winegrowers started vinifying it on its own.
The appellation was born with the 2011 reorganisation (decree of 30 September 2011), which brought together under a single name the Falanghinas of the old Guardiolo, Sant'Agata dei Goti, Solopaca and Taburno DOCs. The Consorzio di tutela has announced its intention to apply in future for promotion to DOCG: we recommend following developments on the official channels.
Food pairings
It is straw yellow in colour, dry and fresh on the palate, with a tangy streak. At the table we pair it with seafood starters, vegetable pasta dishes and fresh cheeses; the spumante is a perfect aperitif, while the passito goes well with torrone and the traditional dry biscuits of Benevento.
The sector is overseen by the Consorzio di tutela dei vini Sannio, recognised by the Ministry, which works to promote the area's labels (source: the Campania Region's Guida Catalogo 2024).
The Guida Catalogo 2024 points to a trend we really like: more and more wineries are extending bottle ageing, and after the Fiano and Greco Riservas, Falanghina del Sannio is also ready to show how well it can evolve over time.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
The best way to get to know Falanghina is to travel through the hills: in Guardia Sanframondi we were struck by the old village clinging to the castle, while in Cerreto Sannita the ceramics tradition is worth a stop, as we describe in Cerreto Sannita and its ceramics. For walks at altitude there is The Taburno-Camposauro Park, and at the end of summer the harvest becomes a celebration with Solopaca and its Festa dell'uva.
For the full picture read The wines of the Benevento area, the profile of Sannio DOC and Aglianico del Taburno DOCG. If you are planning a trip through the region's wineries, start from The wines of Campania and Benevento and its surroundings.
Sources: Falanghina del Sannio 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 (Guardia Sanframondi): Gianfranco Vitolo from Sarno (Sa), Italia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.