How many wines from the South of Italy do you know?
Italy is a wonderful wine region, but it’s immensely difficult to know all its wines. More than 350 indigenous grape varieties, a lot of subregions, small and big productions. There’s something for every taste!

Mercato dei Vini FIVI is the right place for all the wine lovers. You can improve your knowledge of wine there.
I’m not an expert in the South of Italy, so I took the opportunity.
First I’ll tell you the reasons why you should take part in this fair, then I’ll share my favourite tastings.
Are you ready? Let’s start!
Mercato dei Vini FIVI Piacenza 2019
The location is always the same, the Piacenza Expo. It’s very easy to reach both by car and by public transports (there is a bus that connects the fair with the railway station and the nearest airports are Milano Linate and Parma).
The big news of Mercato dei Vini FIVI Piacenza 2019 is that it lasted one more day. 23, 24, and 25 November.
It’s my favourite wine fair in Italy and has reached the 9th edition.
You can taste the wines and buy them immediately. Where else cand you have the same opportunity!? Remember that you can take a shopping cart!
I took the tour to improve my knowledge of the wines of the South of Italy. Now, I’ll tell you which were my favourite.
The South of Italy
Campania, Calabria, and Basilicata were the regions that I’ve decided to discover better.
Please tell me your favourite wines from them by leaving a comment. I’m very curious!
Don Chisciotte 2018 – Pierluigi Zampaglione
100% Fiano (organic) grown 850 m above the sea level. Skins contact for 10 days, then only stainless steel tanks. The colour is pale lemon. On the nose there are the aromas of peach, lemon, and eucalyptus. Medium+ acidity, medium body and long finish.

Conclave Falerno del Massico 2017 – Gennaro Papa
Primitivo vineyards (around 30 years old) mainly on clay soil. The ageing is 6 months in large barrels. Deep ruby colour. There are some aromas of plums, cherry, and strawberry. High acidity, high tannins, full body, and medium+ finish.

Piancastelli 2014 – Terre del Principe
It’s a blend of Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia (vineyards are around 150 years old). 10% of Pallagrello Nero is overripe. It looks deep ruby. You can recognize the aromas of black pepper, black cherry, and liquorice. High acidity, high tannins, full body, and long finish with a pleasant toasted flavour.

Titolo 20th Anniversary 2017 – Elena Fucci
Only 2500 bottles from a small parcel of Aglianico (more than 75 years old). The ageing is 18 months in French oak tonneaux. Deep ruby is the colour. Its bouquet offers the aromas of tobacco, black currant, and eucalyptus. High acidity, high tannins, full body, and long finish.

Stupor Mundi Riserva 2013 – Carbone
This wine is produced only in the best vintages from old Aglianico vines (500 m above the sea level). Deep ruby colour. You can recognize the aromas of plums, tobacco, raspberry. Medium+ acidity, high tannins, full body, and long finish.

Damaschito 2015 – Grifalco
The grape is Aglianico (around 40 years old). 2 years of ageing in large barrels. It has a deep ruby colour. Dried rose, tobacco, and cherry are the main aromas. Medium+ acidity, high tannins, full body, and medium+ finish.

Ispico Rosato Magliocco 2018 – Cantine Elisium
I’m not a lover of rosé, but this wine convinced me. It’s a blend of 80% Magliocco and 20% Greco Nero. Only stainless steel tanks. The colour is medium salmon. On the nose there are the aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, and currant. Medium+ acidity, medium body, and medium+ finish with a pleasant floral flavour.

22,500 visitors
Mercato dei Vini FIVI Piacenza 2019 has been a real success!
New record for the number of visitors, but also for the wineries – 626.
The next edition will be even bigger, but I’ve two suggestions.
The first is for the organisers. They should improve the food area with more specialities. The quality of raw materials in Italy is outstanding and we have to enhance them more.
My other suggestion is for the wineries. Unfortunately I saw some regions with not many wineries such as Molise or Sardinia. It’s a huge pity! If someone like me wants to improve his knowledge of wine in a specific region, he cannot, because the wineries are too few. This fact can also apply to tourism. Personally, when I find good wines I’m more encouraged to visit also the origin place of those wines.
But now it’s time to go back to the books (you know, I’m studying for DipWSET in London) and plan the new wine adventures for 2020. Mercato dei Vini FIVI Piacenza will of course be one of them.
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Cheers
Simone