In the Campania of Vini Alois
by Michael Godel
A few weeks back Devon Masciangelo of Brand New Day Wines and Spirits asked if I would have the time to taste through the full portfolio of Vini Alois. I first met Massimo Alois in the fall of 2014 when the Italian Trade Commission rolled out the red carpet at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall for the 19th annual tasting of Wines from Italy. At the time I was struck by Massimo’s varietal Cassavecchia called Trebulanum.
Last March a varietal Pallagrello Nero showed up through a VINTAGES In-Store-Discovery release and once again the light went on. With two memorable wines in the bank I was quick to respond to Devon’s request. IN! And then I broke two bones in my foot. So Massimo had to come to me, with BND chaperone Jarek Morawski. I don’t normally conduct tastings in my home but Massimo was happy to oblige.
Massimo and his father Michele so perfectly fit the description I had considered after that Italian tasting two years ago. “You can’t help but notice that modern winemakers with a wistful eye are casting reflexively into the past with a hunger for vinous resurrection. By grafting their pre-Phylloxera ancient vines onto healthy root-stock they have turned the varietal compass on its head. As they have moved through their days with an open-mind to the panoply of grape interactions, they have beget the endemic revival. Old is new again. Meet the awakening of the Italian grape vernacular.”
Vini Alois is the dream of Michele Alois, his winery set amongst the Campania foothills of the Caiatini Moutains in the province of Caserta, on a plateau consisted of nine hectares. His family’s roots are in the silk business. “The name Alois is synonymous with quality in the production and creation of silk cloths that are present in the most famous rooms of the world: from the Italian Parliament to the White House, to the Louvre Museum. Born in 1885 in the time of Ferdinand IV of the Bourbon family, the Alois factory built a constant success under the head of the household, until 1992 when Michele Alois planted 9 autochthonous grape varietals and created a double activity for the already established family dynasty.”
Campania has enjoyed success from a holy trinity of whites, of Greco di Tufo, Falanghina and Fiano di Avellino. But it is in the higher altitudes and volcanic soils where these grapes, where aglianico and especially the ancient and endemic varietals, Casavecchia and Pallagrello, really find their special way. The Ponte Pellegrino “entry-level” wines from Alois should do very well and open the door to the rest of the portfolio. So thank you to Devon and Jarek for sending Massimo my way. Such a fascinating tasting to enforce the adage that endemic is the new vino da tavola.
Photo gallery
