Fiano di Avellino Villa Raiano 2025

The Fiano di Avellino from Villa Raiano finds its home on the eastern bank of the Sabato river, where the terroir is particularly suited for the production of white grape varieties from Campania. The winery, renovated about ten years ago, is highly innovative and has replaced the family olive oil mill that was used for the production phase of these labels. The strong territorial adherence is the great value of the Basso brothers and their brother-in-law Sibillo, who founded the winery in 1996 with the precise intent of giving voice to native grape varieties, including Fiano with its troubled history.

The Fiano di Avellino represents for Villa Raiano a great opportunity for a territory particularly inclined to give us extraordinarily expressive whites. The soils where the roots of Fiano rest are clay-based, particularly rich in sand and volcanic ash. Its amber berries have a rather thick skin, which not only makes them resistant to noble rot attacks but also leads to a rather late maturation. They are therefore harvested during the first week of October and undergo a soft pressing of whole bunches. The must undergoes static decantation and selected yeasts trigger fermentation, which takes place in stainless steel tanks, as does the subsequent aging.

Villa Raiano with its Fiano di Avellino gives us a white wine saved from complete disappearance. This grape variety has indeed gone through a period of total abandonment, like many others in Campania just after World War II, and extinction was now a real possibility. Fortunately, the few remaining plants were recovered and reintegrated into the local culture, escaping the danger of being replaced by international grape varieties. It is, among other things, an incredibly versatile grape, of the highest quality and with surprising longevity. This is the story told by the bright straw-yellow of this glass, with its hints of loquat and lemongrass, alongside elderflower and a distant, very characteristic mineral note. On the palate, it surprises with its pleasantly fresh taste and good softness that accompany us on this journey through history.