Italy consistently produces the largest number of best-value wines we rate and review each year, as highlighted in our Top 100 Value Wines of 2021. But even in Italy, there are few better value propositions than Campania, which is home to a wide variety of well-made wines that are approachable and delicious, yet with many of the best costing no more than $30. For reds, aglianico is king, but Campania also produces a fantastic range of white wines each year. The region is home to wonderful varieties like greco, falanghina and coda di volpe, but fiano is perhaps the most compelling white variety of the bunch.
Fiano’s most quintessential expressions come from Fiano di Avellino DOCG, which surrounds the town of Avellino in the district of Irpinia. While the regional capital of Campania, Naples, is famed for its baking heat, Irpinia is a more mountainous and cooler subsection with ancient volcanic soils and clay limestone, imbuing the wines with a distinct smoky and flinty character. Fiano di Avellino is typically very mineral as a result, with a slight floral edge and firm, ripe fruit at its core. Some examples even have a bit of delightful salinity, which make for excellent food pairing companions.
