February
1, 2005
Basilicata
Cultivates Quality
The growers
and winemakers of Basilicata are investing in research to
hone in on quality production; over the last decade, the area
has seen the introduction of 50-60 high-caliber estates entering
the market with their own labels. It seems like a long road
for each generation to develop and improve production, but
the results have already received awards at tastings throughout
Italy. In addition to the traditional ‘Aglianico del
Vulture’ DOC, a tiny new ‘Terre dell’Alta
Val d’Agri’ DOC was recently granted, and a new
‘Matera’ denomination is currently in the works.
Far from being content with these accomplishments, winemakers
like Elena Fucci, Basilisco, and Paternoster are eagerly
working to earn further recognition. The Minister of Agriculture
has launched an extensive research project that will explore
the various factors that make wine what it is and make the
wine of Basilicata unique. An analysis of the territory
itself will help producers to understand the peculiarities
that distinguish each site and give character to wine, allowing
them deftly to pair sites with the particular vines best
suited to them. These vines, indigenous treasures already
familiar to the natives, will also be studied with an eye
to strategy for foreign markets where consumers often forego
variety for familiarity; the integration of well-matched
northern Italian varietals could play a role in this program.
Marketing experts will then synthesize the results to build
on the relatively recent international recognition of Basilicata
as a quality wine region. The Regional Society for Agro-Marketing
stressed that the area is not now and does not intend to
become a colossus of winemaking, but will rather cultivate
its small sphere of quality production.
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