Region: Campania
History: Established as a DOC in 2011, incorporating the Falanghina-based wines of the former DOCs Guardia Sanframondi (Guardiolo), Sant’Agata dei Goti, Solopaca, and Taburno (the other wines from those DOCs are now part of the Sannio DOC)
Principal White Grape Varieties: Falanghina
Styles and Wine Composition:
WHITE WINES
- Bianco (Wh): Minimum 85% Falanghina + OANWG
SPARKLING WINES
- Spumante or Spumante di Qualità (WhSp): Minimum 85% Falanghina + OANWG
- Spumante di Qualità Metodo Classico (WhSp): Minimum 85% Falanghina + OANWG
DESSERT AND SPECIALTY WINES
- Vendemmia Tardiva (Wh): Minimum 85% Falanghina + OANWG
- Passito (WhSw): Minimum 85% Falanghina + OANWG
Subzones:
- Guardia Sanframondi (Guardiolo)
- Sant’Agata dei Goti
- Solopaca
- Taburno
Significant Production Rules:
- Grapes for Passito must be dried on or off the vine to achieve a minimum potential alcohol level of 16.0%
- Spumante di Qualità Metodo Classico must undergo second fermentation in bottles; Spumante and Spumante di Qualità must be fermented in autoclaves (pressurized tanks)
- Minimum alcohol level: (For subzones, add 0.5% for each category) 11.0% for Bianco; 11.5% for sparkling wines; 13.0% for Vendemmia Tardiva; 16.0% (potential) for Passito
- Residual sugar: Spumante may range from extra brut to extra dry; Metodo Classico may be extra brut or brut
- Aging: For Passito, minimum approx. 3–5 months (ERD = June 1, V+1); for Metodo Classico, minimum 12 months on the lees (ERD = November 15, V+1)
