Vigneti del Vulture 'Pipoli' Greco-Fiano 2025

Basilicata sits next to Puglia at the southern end of Italy and despite being less well known than its neighbour it does produce some excellent wines as this zesty and very drinkable white demonstrates. It's made from two of the south's main white grapes Greco and Fiano which, after a gentle pressing is fermented in oxygen free conditions to preserve the fresh aromas before being aged for a short period on its lees. It has an enticing pale lemon colour and a plethora of floral aromatics and delicious tropical flavours this packs a lot in whilst remaining refreshingly light and balanced.

Bright and lively, it's a great wine to drink on its own and it also pairs well with salad dishes, or white fish.

Valentino Sciotti took over this small Basilicata co-operative of Vigneti del Vulture in the heart of the Aglianico del Vulture zone in 2008 and it's since become part of the Fantini group whose wineries also include those of Vesevo and Gran Sasso. Consultant winemaker Alberto Antonini works with the talented Massimo di Bari to capture in the finished wine the character of the grapes and the zone. According to Alberto, arriving in this beautiful area, isolated and uncontaminated, is almost like stepping back a few centuries in time. It is certainly one of Italy's least explored and poorest regions, which is nevertheless producing some exciting wines.