This is part of an extensive program of content on Italian wines and culture over the summer of 2020 on JamesSuckling.com. Read this post to see more examples of the kinds of stories we will be posting over the next few weeks.

Very few regions in Italy can beat Campania for a combination of breathtaking views, incredible food, and enthralling wines that are still down-to-earth and consumer friendly. The aglianico grape is revered here, but Campania has four excellent offerings of white wines as well: fiano, greco, falanghina, and coda di volpe (which literally means the “tail of the fox”). They all thrive in the mineral-rich and porous volcanic soils, conferring wines with a sense of place with lots of purity, a flinty, smoke pungency, or mineral whiff. It is difficult to choose one to represent the best of the region, and the competition between fiano and greco is especially fierce. But fiano might have the slight edge over the minerally greco with its more diverse styles and potential for cellaring.

Fiano nearly went extinct in the mid 20th century, and it’s only thanks to the efforts of the Mastroberardino family that is has come back into fashion today. The family – a historically important producer for the region – dedicated themselves to the resurrection of some of the finest grapes of Campania – aglianico, greco and fiano – when others laid eyes on international grapes. Today, it even makes a rare piedirosso-led wine (Villa dei Misteri) from a small vineyard within the ruins of Pompeii.

In 2003 Fiano di Avellino, the most prominent appellation of the grape, was promoted to DOCG status. Of the 26 communes included, Lapio is particularly worth considering (we have selected the Benito Ferrara and Colli di Lapio from here, for example, in our flight below).

The best expressions of fiano often come from the cooler vineyards with higher elevations, wide diurnal ranges, and long growing seasons. Limestone clay with volcanic substances prove to be the ideal soil and can influence the wine by adding a layer of desirable flinty, smoky quality, while other aromas and flavors range from green apples, nectarine, lemon citrus, fine herbs and floral perfumes to a delicate nuttiness and honey note when the grapes are picked riper or aged. You can also expect a full body of mealy substances framed in a tight, tense palate from the best examples. Some might have a deliciously salty tang that makes your mouth smack.

While the sense of place is telling in fiano wines, winemaking know-how improves the quality of the wine further. Oak influence is not common in most fianos, but lees contact adds complexity, weight, and creaminess on the mid-palate. Still, the equilibrium is essential, and some winemakers might overdo the lees, especially if they frequently stir to add richness. This can chip away at the crunchy bite and transparent tension and tautness on the palate making the wine less composed, subtle and restrained, and that reticent, intellectual quality could be lost.

The best fianos are age-worthy, as flavors become rounded and complex as the wine ages, not unlike an excellent semillon, but more attractive at youth. I have had some well-aged bottles from Di Meo, which proves the aging potential of the grape. The following 10 bottles we selected under $30 are my smart buys for fiano, and these are the bottles you can drink immediately or lay down for at least five or six years. Most of them come from Fiano di Avellino DOCG, save Luigi Maffini’s Pietraincatenata from Cilento DOC, a worthy producer who makes a finely oaked, rich and complex fiano that is still fresh and tangy.

– Zekun Shuai, associate editor in Beijing

Ventitré Filari Fiano di Avellino Numero Primo 2017 – JS95
US Average Price: $13

Villa Raiano Fiano di Avellino Bosco Satrano 2017 – JS94
International Price: $19

Benito Ferrara Fiano di Avellino Sequenzha 2018 – JS94
US Average Price: $28

Luigi Maffini Fiano Cilento Pietraincatenata 2016 – JS94
US Average Price: $30

Donnachiara Fiano di Avellino 2018 – JS93
Available at Total Wine: $18.99
Available at Vivino : $23.99(12 bottles)

Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino 2017 – JS93
Available at Vivino : $27.99

Fonzone Fiano di Avellino 2018 – JS93 
US Average Price : $25

Nativ Fiano di Avellino 2018 – JS92
US Average Price : $16

Vinosia Fiano di Avellino Le Grade 2018 – JS92
US Average Price: $20

Terredora Fiano di Avellino TerreDora 2018 – JS92
Available at Wine.com: $23.99
Available at Vivino : $22.99

Mastroberardino Fiano di Avellino Radici 2018 – JS92
Available at Vivino: $28.99