Only three days left before I go to Burgundy for a weekend of pinot noir showers and sucking snails out of their shells. But a promise is a promise. I told you I would come back to you before I go to Burgundy with a hidden gem from Italy. And it’s a white one for that matter! I still hear people saying from time to time that Italy does not make good white wine. I agree that Italy is mostly known for its majestuous reds, but wouldn’t it be weird, to say the least, that a country that challenges France for the biggest wine production, and that has an enormous diversity of autochtonous grapes, did not produce good white wine?!

Friuli is a region that some of you might already know as a region that produces elegant whites. But the wine I want to share with you today comes from Campania. That is not another family member of Donald Trump, but the region around Naples. That’s pretty far south to make white wine, you might think. And yet, this is a region that actually produces more than one white that merits your attention, such as Fiano di Avellino and Falanghina. But today’s wine is a Greco di Tufo, Loggia della Serra 2015, produced by Terredora Di Paola : the nose is absolutely breathtaking with ripe pear, but it’s especially the minerality, the flint, that adds a layer of finesse and playfulness. A little bit of je ne sais quoi, to use a beautiful Italian expression… The acidity in this wine balances the ripe fruit so beautifully that it is literally mouthwatering, making you grab your glass instantly for more. If you can find this wine, do try it out! You will not be disappointed, nor will you be bust, as this little beauty only costs around 12€…

The people behind this wine are no strangers. Terredora is one of the most well-known wineries in Campania, created by Walter Mastroberardino in 1993. If this name rings a bell, don’t look too far. Walter is the brother of Antonio Mastroberardino, who leads the winery Mastroberardino, probably the most important winery of the region. Walter and Antonio went their separate ways after a dispute, and Walter named his winery after his wife, Dora di Paola.

If only all family feuds led to such great results…