A white wine that, for centuries, has enhanced every banquet, ceremony, or convivial moment, making it as timeless as history and as authentic as its flavor. An eternity and authenticity that are well-matched with the renown of Greco di Tufo, a true excellence of Irpinia and a DOCG with a thousand-year history waiting to be discovered.
Greco di Tufo in antiquity and the Pompeian testimony
“You are truly freezing, Bice, and icy, if last night not even the Greco wine could warm you.” So reads a writing found in Pompeii, left on a wall before Vesuvius washed away everything around it. It tells of an unrequited love, and of a wine, the Greco, who failed to warm Bice’s heart. Well, yes, that wine is likely what we call Greco di Tufo today—not the same one, of course, but a close relative of the one we find on our tables.
It is a beautiful, Romanesque, and fascinating testimony that, together with the frescoes also found in Pompeii on the vineyard-covered Vesuvius, tells of a wine produced and drunk millennia ago.
The origins of Greco di Tufo: from the Pelasgians to the Roman Aminea Gemina
Over time, Greco di Tufo has had many admirers. Roman historians and writers such as Cato, Varro, Virgil, Pliny, and Columella wrote about it. Pliny the Elder described it as a wine “so prized that at banquets it was poured only once,” testifying to the value of Greco di Tufo, already considered a “drink of excellence.”
The grape variety was imported to Italy by the Pelasgians, who planted it in Campania from Thessaly (a region of ancient Greece), first on the slopes of Vesuvius and later in other inland areas. The grape variety corresponds to the Aminea Gemina of Roman writers, so called for its pronounced lateral budding that forms a sort of twin (gemina) and from the name of the Amineans, a Greek population that colonized the coastal strip of Vesuvius.
Greco a Tufo: the “sulfur fever” and the increase in exports
The Greco a Tufo grape variety was transplanted around 1648, when Scipione di Marzo, fleeing the plague, brought the vine with him from San Paolo Belsito and planted it in Tufo. Here, the vines find their optimal conditions, and thanks to the particular composition of the soil and the climatic conditions, the produce reaches high quality.
In 1860, a further boost to production arrived: the discovery of sulfur deposits. These not only helped the local economy, but also viticulture, as sulfur proved to be a powerful weapon against vine pathogens. Added to this was the construction in 1890 of the first Irpinia railway, which facilitated the trade and transportation of local products. Thus, exports throughout Italy are increasing, and consequently, the diffusion and prestige of this wine throughout the country.
Greco di Tufo today: from Irpinia to tables around the world
Today, Greco di Tufo continues to be a certainty and a virtue for Irpinia, the only southern province to boast three DOCGs (Greco di Tufo itself, Fiano di Avellino, Taurasi).
The production regulations provide for production in eight municipalities of the province: Tufo is certainly its chosen area, but it is also joined by Altavilla Irpina, Chianche, Montefusco, Prata di Principato Ultra, Preturo Irpino, Santa Paolina, and Torrioni.It is an important, refined, harmonious, and fresh wine, with a strong propensity for aging and also excellent as a sparkling wine. The area is home to many wineries that produce quality Greco di Tufo, allowing this fantastic wine to compete in all national and international competitions and events, as well as being present on tables around the world.
Greco di Tufo is another great testament to the depth and variety of experiences our province offers: nature, villages, flavors, and traditions.
Photo by Chiara Aufiero
