Kim Uncorked: Welcome to my weekly wine recommendation.
Hi, I’m Kim, a passionate lover of wine, food, and any experience that brings the two together! In this weekly blog post, I share my thoughts on a wine that I’ve recently purchased from one of our local independent wine merchants. If you’d like to know more about me, I’ve included a brief bio following the post.
Macchie Santa Maria Aglianico Campania
Aglianico Campania IGP
Italy
Unavailable locally
For the final post in my travel series, we’re in Campania! Three weeks, two countries, countless wines.
If you love Italian red wine, but seldom venture beyond Nebbiolo or Sangiovese, Aglianico is a grape worth getting to know.
This past week, I had the pleasure of visiting Macchie Santa Maria, a small family-run winery founded in 2010 by Oreste De Santis in Montemiletto, in the hills of Irpinia, Campania’s premier wine region. The estate focuses on native Campanian varieties, including Aglianico, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Falanghina.
The Macchie Santa Maria Aglianico Classico is made from 100% Aglianico. Often referred to as the “Barolo of the South”, Aglianico is known for its firm structure, complexity, and aging potential. In the rolling hills around Montemiletto, the vines grow at 300–450 metres above sea level, where the combination of elevation and clay soils gives the wine both concentration and freshness. The wine spends around 15 days fermenting in stainless steel before a further 12 months of tank refinement, allowing Aglianico and its terroir to shine through.
In the glass, it’s a deep ruby red with youthful purple highlights. A spicy nose gives way to ripe cherry and dark fruit, alongside hints of tobacco. On the palate, it’s dry, intense, and structured, with firm but surprisingly silky tannins and lively freshness that keeps the wine balanced.
And like most Italian wines, this is a red that calls for food—red meat, game, or an aged cheese would all be natural partners.
Another reminder that Italian wine has much more to offer than the names we already know, and although the Macchie Santa Maria is currently unavailable, a selection of wines made from Aglianico can be found in our local marketplace.
Kim Mead is a Vancouver-based wine and food writer. She holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines with Merit, the French Wine Scholar designation with Honours, the Bordeaux Masters designation with Honours, and the Italian Wine Essentials certification. Kim serves as Cellar Master for the Vancouver chapter of the International Wine and Food Society and is a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux. Follow her @agalandaglass
