Southern Italy: Basilicata, Puglia, Calabria & Molise

BY ERIC GUIDO | MARCH 27, 2025 

We publish coverage of the smaller regions in Southern Italy, which include Molise, Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria, every two years. This is mostly because the number of essential wines made in each of these regions is rather small. With the exception of Vulture and a handful of notable producers in each region mentioned above, much of the wine made in Southern Italy is meant for early consumption and easy drinking, or is otherwise not especially remarkable. This isn’t the first time I’ve publicly stated this; the fact remains that each time I set out to write this report, very few new wineries submit new releases.

That said, there are tremendous opportunities for growth and high-quality wine production in Southern Italy. I see no reason why these regions can’t excel. Some might argue that the extremely warm and dry conditions in the south yield wines excessively high in alcohol and residual sugar. But many producers within these regions craft balanced and complex wines worthy of collectors’ cellars. Unfortunately, most wineries here are hesitant to disrupt the status quo. What’s more, seldom do young winemakers from these areas reach out to discuss their innovations in local winemaking or exciting new projects. This happens often in the other regions I review, but not here.

The good news is that there are wines worth talking about, just not as many as there should be. In the notes that follow, readers will find eye-opening and cellar-worthy Aglianico from Puglia and Vulture, deeply complex Primitivo that can stand up to the great California Zinfandels, Ciro that rivals Barolo and Barbaresco, and a few surprisingly jaw-dropping Fianos.

The Ceraudo vineyards in Calabria

Pugliese Potential

I want nothing more than for Puglia to succeed. The Italian side of my family originates from Puglia. The region’s traditional cuisines filled our dinner table when I was a child. Yet, when it came to wine, all that mattered to my family was whether it was white or red. To this day, I can’t say if I ever tasted anything at that table that moved me. I certainly didn’t seek sips from my grandparents’ cups (they didn’t use fancy glassware). When learning about wine decades ago, I looked to Puglia, but what I found didn’t excite me. Revisiting the region over the years, I longed to see an uptick in quality, but instead, I found only a handful of wineries that moved the needle. Some of these wineries have begun to do amazing things, cementing my belief in the potential of Puglia. But on a larger scale, the region is simply not there yet. 

Why not? 

Much of this has to do with surmaturation, a practice that isn’t often discussed but is utilized more often than not in regions like Puglia. Surmaturation refers to late-harvesting fruit beyond technical ripeness in order to increase the concentration of sugars, acids and aromas. This is why the average Primitivo, juicy and fresh as it might seem, sports 15-16.5% alcohol and residual sugar from 8-10 grams per liter. The use of surmaturation prevents wineries from creating wines with nuance, complexity and the ability to age.

The barrel-aging cellar at Bocca di Lupo, Puglia

Terroir is another limiting factor. Much of the region’s vineyards are situated in the flatter areas or on gentle hillsides that gradually increase in elevation as they move inland from the sea. Many parts of Puglia are influenced by the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. Salento, the southernmost part of the region, forms a peninsula. Puglia's hot and dry Mediterranean climate and fertile soils lend well to big, fruit-forward wines. However, if there’s one common refrain I hear repeated across winemaking regions worldwide, it’s that grape vines like to suffer. Without a struggle to thrive, the fruit these vines produce is often lackluster. Simply achieving ripe fruit doesn’t make great wine. Therefore, it’s important to consider smaller pockets of terroir over a region as a whole. For example, Castel del Monte, close to the borders of Basilicata and Vulture, can give rise to far more interesting wines than many other parts of the larger region. In Castel del Monte, elevations reach 300 meters, and the soil transitions into rocky, sheer limestone. Here, winemakers focus on the high-acid, tannic Nero di Troia variety, as well as Aglianico that can compete with the best from Campania and even white varieties like Fiano. Producers like Tenuta Bocca di Lupo, Antinori’s Tormaresca, and Rivera craft exciting wines worth hunting down. 

For Primitivo-lovers, there are a variety of options. The Primitivo di Manduria DOC encompasses the flatlands and gentle hills stretching east from the town of Taranto. Soils change from sandy to loamy to calcareous moving inland. The potential for great winemaking in this part of Puglia has much to do with the wide temperature swings between day and night. Producers like Masseria Li Veli and Masseria Cuturi take advantage of smaller individual parcels throughout their vineyards to make balanced wines that communicate terroir.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed and my hopes high for Puglia. The producers I mentioned here give me hope for the region.

The crater lakes of Mount Vulture

Vulture Versus Mother Nature: The 2023 Vintage

When it comes to Basilicata, wine lovers immediately think of Vulture, and with good reason. Not only is Aglianico del Vulture the region's most important wine, but it’s also the only wine that meaningfully reaches beyond the local market. Aside from Aglianico del Vulture, the only other notable DOC in Basilicata is Matera. Established in 2005 along the border of Puglia, the Matera DOC stretches toward the town of Murgia. On paper, Matera shows excellent potential for Primitivo, as its higher elevations feature calcareous limestone soils. However, the Matera DOC also allows for two other red categories: Rosso, which must contain at least 60% Sangiovese and 30% Primitivo, and Matera Moro, which mixes a minimum of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 20% Primitivo and 10% Merlot. For white wines, the DOC allows for Greco and Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata, although this category is seriously underrepresented in Basilicata.

This brings us back to Aglianico del Vulture. For a detailed description of the region's terroir, subregions, and goings-on, reference my 2024 article, Getting in on the Ground Floor: Aglianico del Vulture. However, the challenges of the 2023 vintage are worth addressing. A large portion of Italy’s winegrowing regions suffered in 2023, with the worst conditions centered around Tuscany and Abruzzo. Extended periods of rain and cloudy weather during spring set the stage for the worst outbreak of Peronospora (downy mildew) most producers in these regions had ever seen. Many of the organic operations throughout Italy were left defenseless. Wineries commonly reported spray treatments to defend the vines, only to have the rain wash the treatments away the same day. As a result, some operations lost their entire production, while others were forced to declassify their red wines and produce only Rosatos. In the aftermath, some wineries stopped their organic practices altogether, fearing a repeat of 2023. In Vulture, the conditions were no different. I expect to see similar results from Campania, as Aglianico is highly susceptible to Peronospora.

Elena Fucci's Titolo Vineyard 

Elena Fucci of Azienda Agricola Elena Fucci and Verha Wines described what seemed like “forty days of continuous rain between May and June,” adding, “As a result, many vines did not flower and therefore did not produce any bunches.” Her losses totaled around 40-45% of her entire crop. Viviana Malafarina of Basilisco Winery explained, “By the end of June, the situation was already very bad, and many grape producers abandoned their vineyards until the following year!” Despite improving conditions throughout the rest of the season, the Peronospora infection continued, resulting in a 70% loss. Malafarina also noted that white varieties fared better in 2023 due to the difference in their bloom time and harvest. Unfortunately, most Vulture producers don’t make any white wine, which could have helped soften the blow from the loss of red wine production. Lorenzo Piccin of Grifalco succeeded in the 2023 vintage, having undertaken a painstaking selection process to eliminate unhealthy or underripe fruit. In the end, Grifalco’s production suffered a 40% loss.

What does this mean for the wines? For one thing, readers should expect releases from the 2023 vintage in Vulture to be extremely limited. I’ve only seen a snapshot from a few top producers who poured their heart and soul into making the best wines they could. However, consumers should be selective. What I have tasted thus far has generally been very good. The wines are undoubtedly more forward in nature, coming across as softer and more generous than usual, but without sacrificing complexity. Ultimately, 2023 is a vintage to buy from the producers you know and trust, as there will likely be significant variability in quality. At Elena Fucci, there will be no Riserva or Superiore in 2023, a respectable decision that Fucci made to ensure the best possible Titolo Classico.

Librandi's 155-hectare Rosaneti vineyard reflects Calabria's diverse terrain.

Calabria: Show Me The Money

Calabria is a perfect example of a missed opportunity. The region forms the "sole, instep and toe" of the Italian boot and excels at making fun, lighthearted wines. However, the Cirò DOC and its sole grape variety, Gaglioppo, deserve special consideration. The Cirò DOC centers around the towns of Cirò and Cirò Marina, with the Cirò Classico area stretching from the Sila Mountains down toward the Ionian coast. Closer to the sea, along the coastal plains, the wines are more jovial and juicier, almost akin to Beaujolais, but Gaglioppo also has a very serious side. Vines located further inland toward the hills struggle on these sun-baked slopes, stressed by water scarcity yet tempered by the influence of two seas and the dramatic temperature swings created by the Sila Mountains. Here, we find wines with rich profiles of dark fruit and spice, but Gaglioppo’s firm tannins require gentle maceration and extended aging. Achieving a balance between fruit and tannin is crucial, but the results are incredible when done right. Producers such as ‘A Vita and Ceraudo craft truly compelling wines that make me question why Gaglioppo and the Cirò DOC cannot seem to achieve the recognition they deserve. Even on a larger scale, the Librandi winery turns out a solid Cirò at a remarkably low price.

I look forward to the day when more Calabrian wineries realize the potential beneath their feet, but at this time, Calabria remains a land of opportunity.

Lest We Forget Molise

Molise often goes unnoticed among Italy's many regions. The area could easily find its place in my coverage of Abruzzo, as Molise is a natural continuation of the Southern Abruzzo terroir. That said, the grape varieties grown in Molise set it apart from its more northerly neighbor. The Tintilla variety is indigenous to Molise and seldom found elsewhere. Typically high in alcohol and acidity, the grape displays peppery red berry fruit characteristics. Until 20 years ago, Tintilla was considered a farmer's wine. However, Claudio Cipressi of Cipressi Winery identified the best biotypes and planted 15 hectares of vines, elevating the grape's status. Today, those vineyards have come to full maturity, and the wines Cipressi creates from them are very special and worth seeking out. I’d love to see more wineries attempt to champion Tintilla, but it remains obscure outside the region. Molise is best known for its most widely distributed producer, Di Majo Norante. These wines represent fantastic value in the lower-to-mid-range, yet for my tastes, their premium labels lean too heavily on oak. Majo Norante’s Sangiovese and Montepulciano are well worth checking out, as is their late-release Aglianico Sassius. 

I urge readers to reference our vintage charts for updates on current vintages, including 2022 and 2023. I’ve provided detailed information on the recent seasons in Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia. 

I tasted the wines for this article in our offices in New York City in January 2025.

© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

Getting in on the Ground Floor: Aglianico del Vulture, Eric Guido, May 2024

Breaking the Mold: Campania’s Push to Reinvent Itself, Eric Guido, May 2024

Southern Italy: Diamonds in the Rough, Eric Guido, July 2023

Basilicata: Vulture’s Rise from the Ashes, Eric Guido, September 2022