La Capranera Falanghina Campania

La Capranera Falanghina Campania is an expression of one of southern Italy's oldest grape varieties, made by San Salvatore in Capaccio-Paestum, Salerno. The Falanghina vines grow at 130 meters elevation on clay and chalk soils in certified organic vineyards just a few miles from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the shadow of the ancient Greek temples of Paestum. This is Campania wine made the way it has been for two millennia: minimal intervention, native varieties, no chasing trends. The estate is San Salvatore, founded by Giuseppe Pagano, who named this bottling La Capranera—"black goat"—for the cilentana nera, an indigenous breed that roams the Cilento National Park near the vineyards. Falanghina itself traces back to ancient Rome, when Campania was considered the most important wine region in the world. The winemaking is deliberate and straightforward: slow cold fermentation in stainless steel, six months on the lees, nothing added to obscure the grape. The soils are farmed organically, the fruit picked by hand, the cellar work kept to a minimum. The wine is pale straw with greenish highlights. On the nose it opens with pear, green apple, citrus blossom, and a hint of tropical fruit underneath. The palate is smooth and round with bright acidity, a saline mineral edge that comes from proximity to the sea, and a clean, lingering finish. It pairs well with grilled fish, fried calamari, fresh mozzarella, or anything involving lemon and olive oil. Drink it cold on a warm evening when you want something aromatic, refreshing, and rooted in a specific place. In stock at Off Premise in Chicago.