The Terroir-Driven Wines of Southern Italy

We all think of Southern Italy as being hot, with the warm Mediterranean climate being the driving factor in the styles of wines being produced there, but many of the most exciting wines coming out of Southern Italy are influenced more by the soil composition, vineyard location and dramatic temperature shifts from day to night rather than the hot sunny climate.

Some of the most elegant and complex wines come from the cooler, higher elevation vineyards on the rolling hills at the base of the Apennine Mountains or on the steep volcanic slopes of Mt Etna and Mt Vulture.  Those volcanoes also produced miles of volcanic soils which add intense minerality, depth and structure to these unique wines.

Winemaking in the southern regions dates back thousands of years to Greek and Roman times, so most of the wines produced here are still made from ancient indigenous varieties which have adapted well to the local terroir.  Pair all these attributes with modern winemaking and it’s no wonder there are so many new high quality wines being discovered each year.