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Greco di Tufo is an Italian white grape variety and DOCG region. The grape is most revered in the eponymous Greco di Tufo Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), one of four DOCG areas located in Campania. The Campania region boasts more DOCG zones than any other southern Italian region, and Greco di Tufo is considered one of the best white wine appellations of the region, alongside Fiano di Avellino DOCG.
The sulfur- and tufa-rich volcanic and clay soils found in the volcanic hills of the Avellino province in central Campania give it its unique characteristics.
Greco di Tufo is named after the tiny town of Tufo in Avellino. The sulfur- and tufa-rich volcanic and clay soils found in the volcanic hills of the Avellino province in central Campania give it its unique characteristics.
When a Greco di Tufu DOCG has had its second fermentation in the bottle (Metodo Classico), it becomes Greco di Tufo Spumante DOC, which is available as a “Brut” or “Extra Brut”. A sparkling wine with persistent bubbles, nice foam and a delicate aroma.
About 30 miles (48 km) east of Naples are the volcanic hills surrounding Avellino. Here, you’ll find the origin of some of Campania’s best red and white wines. Campania’s warm southern Italian climate makes it a somewhat counterintuitive location for refreshing white wines. Yet one white variety, Greco di Tufo DOCG, is perfectly adapted to the terroir.
Seeds excavated from the ashes of Mount Vesuvius not only offered proof that Greco vineyards existed in Campania during Roman times, but also provided the kernels for contemporary viticulture. The modern finished wines are both excitingly complex and bracing. Hillside vineyards offer enough elevation to preserve grape acidity and, according to locals, the volcanic soils deliver minerality. Plus, Greco is late-ripening; ensuring enough hang time for both flavors and body to fully develop.
The grape composition consists of Greco (85-100%), a clone of the original grape the Greeks brought with them in ancient times, and Coda di Volpe Bianca can also be added (0-15%).
The color is a more or less intense straw yellow, the bouquet is pleasant, intense, fine and characteristic. The taste is dry and harmonious with a slightly bitter aftertaste that makes it well-suited for lighter meat dishes.
Greco di Tufo DOCG has a shelf not quite as long as Fiano di Avellino DOCG (3-5 years), but goes excellently with the region’s fish dishes.
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When was the last time you had dinner in an Italian restaurant in Canada and you thought you were dining in Italy? That’s exactly how “Ospitalità Italiana Certified”restaurants want you to feel when you visit their fine dining establishments.
Ospitalità Italiana is an official certification from Unioncamere, Italy’s federation of local Chambers of Commerce and Industry, that tells you that the food you are enjoying is unquestionably Italian: products are authentic, ingredients genuine and recipes true to the thousand year history of Italian cuisine.
Canada is home to some leading Italian Chefs. Passionate and innovative, many have refined their skills and advanced their knowledge directly in Italy. In addition, Montréal boasts a fabulous cooking school ITHQ where young aspiring chefs learn Italian technic and Italian traditional recipes from the masters.
So the next time you make reservations for an Italian dinner in a Montreal restaurant, ask if they’ve received the Ospitalità Italiana seal of approval. You will enjoy the true Italian taste.
