The first volume in the FEUDISTUDI: Irpinia’s Vineyards and Wines series of publications is dedicated to the denominations that protect the major wines in the province of Avellino produced with the Aglianico grape variety: PDO-DOCG Taurasi and PDO-DOC Irpinia, with particular reference to the Campi Taurasini subzone.

This is a robust in-depth study that passes from one detailed snapshot to another with the same format used for the focus on Greco di Tufo (Volume II) and Fiano di Avellino (Volume III). From the historical origins to the ampelographic, wine-growing and expressive characteristics, from the “macro” territorial coordinates to the peculiarities of the most suitable place names, everything there is to know about the prince of vines of the Southern Apennines and its Irpinian declinations, from which some of the most distinctive and long-lived reds of the Old World are produced.

As in “volume zero” (Introduction | Territory, Varieties, Designations of Origin), the subdivision into parts guides us step by step along the aforementioned path of exploration. Our journey starts with the prologue that contains a summary of the red wines made from the Aglianico grape and marketed under the three brand lines that perfectly express the production philosophy of the Sorbo Serpico group (FEUDISTUDI, Feudi di San Gregorio and Tenute Capaldo), as well as details on the communes and place names where they are produced.

We then get to the heart of the matter in the first part, which focuses entirely on Irpinian Aglianico: origins, cultivation areas, wine-growing, oenological, expressive and evolutionary profiles, the best pairings, production data, descriptions and summarised evaluations of the various vintages.

The second part helps us to explore in detail the areas of the leading denominations through the mapping of geographical sectors. A purely empirical attempt, without any claim to “zoning” in the strict sense of the word, based on the identification of macro-blocks that have significant factors of geo-viticultural and pedoclimatic homogeneity, as well as expressive recognisability. This section also contains descriptive sheets and maps of all the communes found in the PDO-DOCG Taurasi production area.

The third part is devoted to a particularly detailed in-depth examination of the most important place names in each area, starting of course with those monitored through the FEUDISTUDI project. Hamlets, districts and names whose history, reputation and winegrowing tradition in our opinion deserve to be recounted. Places and names perhaps also to be taken into consideration for possible Additional Geographical Units, should the PDO wines of the province of Avellino one day decide to adopt this extremely valid regulatory tool.

The fourth part of the volume contains a comprehensive documentation on the FEUDISTUDI vineyards where the Aglianico grape used to produce the FEUDISTUDI Aglianico wines are cultivated. It includes aerial photos and technical data sheets of all the vineyard parcels that contribute to the production of the reds currently included in the range, detailed information on all the vintages marketed accompanied by character profiles, descriptive notes and recommendations for consumption.

Three appendixes go to form the fifth and final part. Here, it is possible to consult the climatic and agronomic data regarding each vintage in which at least one Aglianico-based FEUDISTUDI wine was produced, as well as a summary of all the tables with production data and maps related to PDO-DOCG Taurasi and PDO-DOC Irpinia | Campi Taurasini Subzone.