Discovering Fiano, a white wine from Campania

Campania is a region in Southern Italy, a land that gives us the best pizzas in the world, along with the famous buffalo mozzarella, but above all delights us with the excellent wines from Campania, many of them world-famous, such as Fiano, Greco and Falanghina, all renowned white wines of the area. 

The history and origins of Fiano 

The origins of this renowned Italian white wine are thousands of years old. It is, in fact, one of the oldest white grape varieties in Campania, present in the region since the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Fiano has been appreciated since ancient times, and indeed there are written testimonies to its magnificence dating back to the 12th century, by kings and emperors. It was Charles II of Anjou who gave the order to find 16,000 Fiano vines to be planted in Manfredonia, leading to the arrival of the vine in Apulia. Although it is also cultivated in other regions, it is in the region of Campania that this grape variety has found its territory of choice, obtaining, in 2003, Italy's highest quality wine categorisation, the DOCG, for wines produced specifically in the province of Avellino. Regarding the origin of the name, there are several theories or myths, but the most widespread hypothesis attributes it to the Latin nickname Apianum ("of the bees"), due to this vine's ability to attract swarms of bees thanks to the sweetness of its grapes. 

What kind of wine is Fiano? 

The Fiano is a dry white wine, to be tried at least once in one's life, that captivates with its qualities; it is one of the most important Italian white wines. Depending on where it is grown, it will take on different scents, ranging from fruity notes to hints of mountain wines to mineral notes if grown near the sea. 

Fiano can be vinified in a variety of ways, from the secca to spumante versions, but also in the reserva version, such as the 'Campanaro' Fiano di Avellino Riserva DOCG 2020, which undergoes prolonged ageing in wooden barrels. Lastly, this wine can be vinified in the passito or vendemmia tardiva versions (the grapes are allowed to ripen and sweeten for longer),  each time yielding extraordinary wines with interesting tasting profiles.  

Fiano: tasting characteristics and food pairings 

This great wine, found in almost every Italian restaurant, is a rare example of a white wine with ageing potential and, thanks to its longevity, can even be kept in the cellar for a few years.  

Fiano is a fresh wine with good balance between its structure and acidity, straw yellow in colour with golden highlights. On the nose, it presents a complex profile of tropical fruits, hints of hazelnut, honey and toasted almonds and floral notes, while on the palate it is a dry but soft and fresh wine, with good flavour. It lends itself perfectly to accompanying fish and chips, as does this 'Asterias' Fiano Paestum IGT 2021 in cleansing the palate of the greasiness and unctuousness of fried food.  

Fiano is a  versatile wine that certainly goes well with and can enhance fish menus, fresh pasta dishes, and fresh cheeses, but also pork cold cuts and white meat, as is the case with "Pietracalda" Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2021. In general, it is a wine for the whole meal, from aperitif to main courses. 

Now that you are acquainted with the history and characteristics of this excellent Italian wine, all you have to do is invite your guests, open the bottle and start tasting a good Fiano among the labels selected for you by the experts at Svinando!