When shopping for EU wines, it can be hard to make sense of the label. There are far too many proper nouns. It’s a humbling reminder of how much there is to learn in the world of wine.
For those of us who grew up drinking mass-produced domestic wines with just a couple of words on the label–and those words were often “California” and “Merlot”–there’s an overwhelming number of grape varieties and small producers in Europe. Plus the appellation system is bonkers.
Take this bottle here: Donnachiara Montefalciane Fiano di Avellino DOCG-DOP.
It’s a white wine, I’m relatively sure. Beyond that, it gets challenging. Fiano is the grape. Donnachiara is the producer. Avellino is the province, and Montefalciane is the village. Or is it the other way around?
You’re also supposed to know that both places are in the region of Campania, which is in the country of Italy (although neither locale appears on the front label). DOP, Google tells me, is the currency ticker for Dominican Pesos. (The price of the wine, maybe?) And DOCG stands for “Don’t Over-Cogitate, Girl.”
Just kidding…sort of. But now I’m all confused and it’s time to put aside the prepositions and pour some wine. So: We have here today a bottle by Donnachiara of Montefalciane in Avellino and from Fiano. (Bought at Total Wine.) Let’s get into it!
Pale yellow with a hay-like tinge of green. Really inviting aromas waft just over the edge of the glass. Everything is yellow fruits: Yellow peach, yellow pear, creamy yellow melon. Even tropical yellow fruits, especially mango. Wet tropical florals, too–plumeria and frangipani.
The palate has more sensation than flavor. Appropriate medium acidity, medium body with a very slightly waxy texture. There’s minerality on the finish and an elusive tinge of smoke that’s also a little plastic-y.
It’s frustrating how good this smells and yet how quickly it trails off. I don’t find the nutty or honeyed quality I expect from Fiano, except perhaps as a slight almond bitterness at the end.
Maybe I’m drinking this wine too young? Or too cold? Letting it inch toward room temperature reveals more citrusy aromatics (orange peel)–but also unlocks more of the smoky petroleum or paraffin-like flavors that aren’t so nice.
This wine has a couple of traits that I really like in my Italian whites–lovely florals, a bit of weight and a mellow peachy character–but overall it’s underwhelming to me.
After tasting, I read the winery’s history page and wish I had been head over heels for the Donnachiara Fiano de Avellino. It’s from this ancient Roman grape in this fairytale-like historic town. It’s from a fifth-generation winemaking family, whose CEO, Ilaria Petitto, is working to modernize her family’s historic vineyards.
Its taste amounts to a bit of a tease–but Donnachiara’s entry level bottle is the only one I can get locally at the moment. I’ll keep my eyes open for one of their single vineyard selections or a different vintage and see if it ends up being the Fiano of my dreams.
Food pairing: I tried this as an after-dinner treat with lightly smoked Speck ham and red apples.
Bottle: Donnachiara Fiano de Avellino (2022)
Variety: Fiano (100%)
ABV: 13%
Suggested retail: $19.99
My rating: 7.8 out of 10
Further reading:
The Swirling Dervish: The Wines of Donnachiara: Five Generations of Irpinian Tradition
Donnachiara: The Story
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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