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This will be the ultimate test of the old saying, “If it grows together it goes together.” Mozzarella di Bufalo is perhaps the most well known cheese native to Italy, besides, perhaps Parmigiano Reggiano, but the wines that hail from the same region of Campania are relegated to much more obscurity.
And why is this? Campania’s incredible vineyards have a lot to offer, contributing to about three percent to Italy’s total vineyard area. Once more,this region is vast expanding, with old varietals and grapes being resurrected, and new viticultural techniques being tried throughout the region. But the world of wine is beginning to take notice and I’m afraid, fortunately, that I’ve caught the bug as well.
I’ll break down the flavor profile of Mozzarella first, then discuss the DOCG of Campania, and see if there’re any wines that can penetrate the smooth milky richness of this wonderfully enticing cheese. Mozzarella is a fatty cheese that’s airy and rich, as well as wet. It’s creamy, lactic and honeyed in flavor with a slight sweetness. It has a texture of creaminess, and saline gumminess on the outside shell.
If we are looking to pair, we need something that’s going to have a better acid profile, a lighter body, and some concentrated secondary characteristics to compliment the creaminess. Red or white is unimportant. If red, the flavor profile we will be looking for is lighter fruit, lighter body, higher acid and perhaps a bit of smoke, or woodiness to compliment the cream, and add some vanilla notes to the cheese.
Taurasi is an appellation inland from Napoli, the homeland of pizza. Taurasi makes white wines with delightful aging capabilities. Though the grapes required by the DOCG are Aglianico, these wines are often referred to as the Barolo of the South, because of their light, acetic nature. The soils are mountainous volcanic soils that add minerality to the wines. Elevation keeps them from ripening unevenly and too quickly. These wines are aged in wood so they take on similar rubbery characteristics, and smoky flavors as they age. If a wine is labeled Reserva, that means it has been aged for four years in oak, and eighteen months bottle.
These wines develop a lot of character due to the aging time required going them an excellent set of undertones. Here you can expect tobacco, vanilla, cedar, and black olive. Alcohol for Reserva wines must be at least twelve and a half percent, compared to the standard twelve percent for standard wines.
If you're looking for a relatively available wine from Taurasi, look no further than Vinosia Santandrea Taurasi. This wine would be an excellent compliment to the Mozzarella due to its dusty secondary characteristics of dirt, vanilla, tobacco and the strong presence of minerality. It has a nice acidity that's not too volatile, yet just strong enough to refresh you from the fatty cheese. This is a dark fruit flavored wine, with primary flavors of blueberry, almost in a balsamic-y type of way.
The other Aglianico-based wine from Campania is Aglianico del Traburno. These wines are similar, apart from their stricter DOCG regulations. The aging requirements are slightly longer here. For Reserva wines, the requirements are five years, with two on oak and two in the bottle. Wines here are always lightly oaked though, so the affects of the oak are tannic expression and some pleasant cedar flavors. You can expect a full tobacco profile likewise from these wines, but Traburno, being at higher altitudes, tend to reflect characteristics of cherry and light fruits, with the same smoky underbelly.
As far as the standard variation, actually only two years is required for aging, and alcohol levels must be at least twelve percent. Twelve of those months must be in barrel, and six of them in bottles. the majority of flavor comes from the maturation in bottle, as this allows the flavor to mellow out, and develop.
There is a third level of quality in between the village label and Reserva here labels “superiore.” These wines are probably the best value, but still drinkable now, with three years of aging, these wines are a mirror of the Reserva wines as far as the overtones, but undertones are less nuanced.
I tried Fattoria La Rivolta Aglianico del Traburno a few years ago on a layover in Rome, and was very impressed with this easy drinking wine. I did of course drink it with the accompaniment of a Caprese salad, which was an excellent pairing. The black pepper characteristics in the wine and the red fruit sang with the balsamic and tomatoes in the salad, as this wine is a burst of fresh fruit. It also has some nice woody-undertones, and complexity that was shooting far above its price-point. Notably, there were some nice mushroom flavors that added another dimension to the salad as well.
Switching to whites, we are looking for a similar acid profile with lower sugar, one that’s strong enough to cut through the fat. Orchard fruits will open up the opulent sweetness in the cheese, and some secondary characteristics of perfume, moss, lilac, and honey will compliment the overall flavors of the cheese. Salinity is a sweet and salty killer-combo here as well. Oak is fine as well, though in this region making white wines is uncommon, as wines are aged in concrete or stainless usually.
Greco di Tufo is the best known wine from Campania, though that isn’t saying much considering its rarity in my local wine store is irritating, especially when I’m making Ratatouille and it's nowhere to be found. Anywhoo, where wines in Tufo are made from the Greco grape obviously. Etymologically, the Greco grape proclaims its Greek origins proudly, although most viticultural specialists believe it may in fact be native to Campania. Tufo itself means “Volcanic Soil.” As such, these wines are grown on volcanic soil, giving them good intensity and minerality.
The wine must be made at least eighty-five percent Greco grape, and the remaining can be one of the other grapes grown in the region such as Trebbiano. Alcohol levels must be at least eleven and half percent for standard variation wines, and twelve and a half for Rerserva. There exists also the condition that Reserva wines are aged for a year, though wood is not required. Interestingly, this is one of the few appellations that allows for Spumante version of its wines - that is, a sparkling variation.
Some producers also experiment with an off-dry variation with bubbles that is delectable. Spumante wines differ slightly in regulation as they must be aged on the lees for at least eighteen months for the standard variation of the wine, or thirty-six months on the lees for the Reserva. This extra fining time adds a touch of brioche on the palette to these crisp orchard-fruit wines, you can also expect some apricot, and green olive salinity as the tides are not too far away from any part of Campania.
For a version that does not have bubbles, although possibly a bit of spritz, look no further than Benito Ferrara Vigna Cicogna Greco di Tufo, a lemony, green apple flavor delight that was practically made for Mozzarella di Bufalo. This wine is a refreshing, light, but serious-wine with good minerality and secondary flavors of slate, and pineapple. Driven by cheek-puckering green apple this is a delight to have with a spinach salad, or any whitefish you can throw at it. While it may lack the body for fruit like tomatoes, salty Speck, or fatty Calabrese are a beautiful fit.
Fiano di Avellino is the last DOCG to compare to the others, this wine-making town is further south on the high slopes of the mountain, and features the same volcanic soils, with a tinge more schist enveloping the root stocks. This allows for good drainage, and better mineral concentration, and helps to maintain the temperature of the vineyard despite the altitude.
You may also see these wines labeled, “Apianum,” their ancient name that is more common in Italy, though some producers are beginning to focus on broader marketing strategies to sell their wines internationally, and using Fiano instead. The area received its DOCG in 2003, stipulating that wines labeled Fiano di Avellino consist of at least eighty-five percent Fiano, with the remainder being made up of Copa di Volpe, Greco, or Trebbiano.
At a wine store in Houston that I once visited, they were hosting a wine tasting with several different styles of whites from Italy when I had the good fortune to try an Antonio Caggiano Béchar Fiano di Avellino that was hands-down the most interesting wine at the tasting. The melon flavors and peach flavors in this wine made it far less zippy than some of the other wines that I'd tried, with nicer body and a more complex flavor profile, while still maintaining its ability to refresh. The undertones in this wine were striking, almost Chenin-like powdered-candy acidity and granite minerality. There were funky notes of mushroom and spring soil that made me wish I had a plate of Mozzarella to enjoy.
Standard wines must contain eleven and a half percent alcohol, with a requirement of Reserva labeled wines to meet a twelve percent threshold. Reserva wine must also be aged for a year on the lees, again to add that lovely brioche characteristic that brings richness and body to white wines. The wine differs slightly from Greco, in that they have more of a richness, whereas Greco is a higher acid, thinner wine, sparkling or not. In these wines you can expect Granny Smith Apple and lemon drops, thyme and even a bit of custard, but not in sweetness, as there is very little residual sugar, just in overall body and nose.
All four of these wines of pair incredibly with the cheese but for different reasons. Taurasi’s buff minerality and earthiness compliments the earthiness in the cheese and the ripe lactose flavor. The creaminess is easily cut by the acidity of the Taurasi, while the wine forcibly inserts dark fruit flavors of fig and fresh blackberry onto the Mozzarella. With slightly more tannin than Traburno, and fuller body, these wines carry the flavor of the dish and act as a palette cleanser, great for meat-based dishes.
Likewise, similar principles apply with the lighter-fruit flavors of Traburno. Traburno wines will have more tobacco flavor and woodiness to them, and tend to be more cherry and stewed strawberry wafting, acting as an easier compliment to spinach greens, and standing in for balsamic reduction that you may eat with the Mozzarella. The creaminess of the cheese won’t stand up to the power of the acid and minerality in the wine, which will give the dish an elevated sense of refreshment with this pairing.
Greco di Tufo, being a slight and saline-forward as it is, has the acidity to pierce the fat in the Mozzarella, and is like a white counterpart to Traburno - great for salads and charcuterie, options like prosciutto. It’s also a king when paired with high-acid fruits like tomatoes. With a light body, and crisp orchard fruit this wine performs well with the earthy tones and lactase of the cheese, in much the same way Puligny-Montrachet does with brie.
Likewise, Fiano di Avelino carries the similar flavors as Greco di Tufo, but with more Viognier-like floral and vegetal characteristics, so we're looking at a fuller bodied, more flexible white here that could make a great addition to seafood dishes that use Mozzarella di Bufalo, or even some lighter meats like pork. This wine has some more structure and breadiness from lees aging, and slightly less acidity, making it a good partner for Mozzarella focaccia as well.
That's All,
~K
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