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Pronunciation: FA-lon-GHEE-nah[the gh is sounded as a hard g, as in ghost]
Background
Falanghina is a white-wine grape probably originating in the Campania region of Italy, which is still its home (though some would trace it all the way back to Greece). In recent times—say the last thirty years—Falanghina has soared back into popularity after a period of relative obscurity.
Falanghina makes wines of substantial body and some richness. It is not notably mineral or fruit-forward; rather, it is a soft, pleasing blend of floral and honeyed (but not sweet) flavors. The flavors and acidity are, in well-made specimens, elegantly balanced. It is interesting that some descriptions have it as a notably high-acid wine, while other reviewers describe it as soft and moderate to low in acid; presumably those are simply the results of different vinification methods. Not a few reviewers detect a faintly “salty” quality in Falanghina wines, especially those grown close to the coast; whether that is real or the power of suggestion is hard to say.
There are two major strains of the Falanghina grape: that grown around Benevento, and that grown around the Campi Flegrei (“firefields”, from being the slopes of extinct volcanos); the latter seems to be slightly the more esteemed. In her monumental book Wine Grapes, Jancis Robinson—relying on recent DNA analyses—actually lists those as two distinct grapes: Falanghina Beneventana and Falanghina Flegrea (though Italian wine regulations do not yet make that distinction). We here will, for now, keep “Falanghina” to this one page, but that may change later. Do be well aware of the distinction. (One writer states that in his experience “The Beneventano biotype is more fruit forward and the Flegrea more mineral, even flinty.”)
The Beneventa grape is usually vinified without oak contact; the Flegrea, said to have a fuller body, is thus often vinified with some oak contact.
Factoid: Falanghina may have been one of the grapes used in the renowned wine of ancient Rome, Falernian.
“It is an ancient grape variety which may have provided a basis for the classical Falernian wine, and has considerable character. It is cultivated on the coast of Campania north of Naples, and frequently consumed in southern Italy along with seafood.”
“Falanghina can have a slightly pine scent, but is better known for its citrus blossom aromas, in particular bitter orange. On the palate it typically shows classic apple and pear flavors, depending on where it is grown, with spicy or mineral notes…There are at least two sub-varieties of Falanghina (Falanghina Flegrea and Falanghina Beneventana). The best known production zones are Falerno del Massico and Sannio.”
“[O]nce you have tasted some of the lower-priced falanghinas, refreshing and bright, thirst-slaking and reviving, you will wonder why you bothered with anything as insipid as a £6 bottle of [Pinot Grigio] at all. Falanghina is light enough for lunch, fresh enough to drink in the garden and tangy enough to sip with food. It tastes good with tomato-heavy Neapolitan dishes: imagine spaghetti soaked in the juice of raw cherry tomatoes, garlic and herbs; or tomatoes baked with marjoram, parsley and breadcrumbs. It’s a joy with fish, too…investment in the vineyard and better winemaking techniques have transformed this once-unadmired grape, teasing out its beautiful fragrance and vibrant orange-peel inflections.”
“Falanghina wines have a pale golden hue like the straw of hay. You’ll find that the grapes in Campi Flegrei tend to have a fresh, mineral-pure taste, while those produced in the Caserta zone seem to have a somewhat spicier flavor. Generally you can expect to find balanced acidity with aromas and flavors suggestive of green apples, candied orange zest, subtle spices and seaside breezes. Absolutely perfect for a summer’s day. Falaghina grapes do best in soil that is light, porous, and rich in minerals – aka volcanic areas. Its best expression is brought forth from the areas of Procida, Falerno del Massico, Campi Flegrei and Sannio.”
“[M]edium-bodied Falanghina offers an amazingly fresh, clean, dry taste, great acidity, and a long and floral finish. It’s almost like it was made for summer weather—the typical flavor profile is ripe fruit in the peach/lemon/pineapple realm with good acidity—more ripe and “tropical” than many wines from Friuli and Alto-Adige regions.”
“The signature of Falanghina is its vibrant acidity; this is enhanced when the grapes are planted near the coast, as with the Villa Matilde estate in Caserta (Falerno del Massico DOC) or the Campi Flegrei DOC that hugs the shoreline just north of Napoli. Yet even inland in Benevento (Sannio DOC) and in Avellino, Falanghina maintains its healthy acidity. This is a wine with lovely aromatics; apple and pear are most common, but today, the best bottlings offer greater complexity in their perfumes, including notes of quince, acacia, white peaches and even some tropical fruits such as kiwi or guava. As the aromatics are so special, most offerings are aged in stainless steel.”
“Falanghina hits all the right spots: it is capable of producing wines of real interest with pure, transparent white fruit aromas, often framed by a fine breadcrumb note from lees ageing. Falanghina comes in a variety of styles, from fresh easy drinking wines to serious, ageworthy and minerally samples at modest alcohol levels. Mature wines can even show a hint of petrol similar to that of aged Riesling.”
“Wine made from Falanghina has a straw-yellow color, tending toward golden with an intense and fruity nose. It usually has softer acid and a pleasant, persistent finish.”
“And it’s no coincidence that it comes from Southern Italy, a region long known for its lusty, rustic reds but that I'm increasingly coming to recognize as the source of full-bodied, full-flavored complex whites that merit broader recognition…A full-bodied, well-structured and complex wine.”
“This native of Campania, in southern Italy, has a floral-mineral profile that sits well with its mostly coastal environs around Naples, where it is very much a foil to seafood…I remember the delight of my first taste of Falanghina…It was too weighty to be easily dismissed like a Pinot Grigio, too curious to be filed next to most Soave. But the same clean, crisp, stainless-steel winemaking that made Falanghina a star is also causing its Grigio-ification, by which I mean: What had been a curious country grape was taken to the big city, and if it didn’t lose its soul, all those fancy trappings might have stripped some of its character. It is now being made by some of the most notable wineries of southern Italy, and while their interpretations are faultless, they haven’t held my interest nearly so well in the past couple years.”
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Some Descriptions of Falanghina Wines
“It is an ancient grape variety which may have provided a basis for the classical Falernian wine, and has considerable character. It is cultivated on the coast of Campania north of Naples, and frequently consumed in southern Italy along with seafood.”
“Falanghina can have a slightly pine scent, but is better known for its citrus blossom aromas, in particular bitter orange. On the palate it typically shows classic apple and pear flavors, depending on where it is grown, with spicy or mineral notes…There are at least two sub-varieties of Falanghina (Falanghina Flegrea and Falanghina Beneventana). The best known production zones are Falerno del Massico and Sannio.”
“[O]nce you have tasted some of the lower-priced falanghinas, refreshing and bright, thirst-slaking and reviving, you will wonder why you bothered with anything as insipid as a £6 bottle of [Pinot Grigio] at all. Falanghina is light enough for lunch, fresh enough to drink in the garden and tangy enough to sip with food. It tastes good with tomato-heavy Neapolitan dishes: imagine spaghetti soaked in the juice of raw cherry tomatoes, garlic and herbs; or tomatoes baked with marjoram, parsley and breadcrumbs. It’s a joy with fish, too…investment in the vineyard and better winemaking techniques have transformed this once-unadmired grape, teasing out its beautiful fragrance and vibrant orange-peel inflections.”
“Falanghina wines have a pale golden hue like the straw of hay. You’ll find that the grapes in Campi Flegrei tend to have a fresh, mineral-pure taste, while those produced in the Caserta zone seem to have a somewhat spicier flavor. Generally you can expect to find balanced acidity with aromas and flavors suggestive of green apples, candied orange zest, subtle spices and seaside breezes. Absolutely perfect for a summer’s day. Falaghina grapes do best in soil that is light, porous, and rich in minerals – aka volcanic areas. Its best expression is brought forth from the areas of Procida, Falerno del Massico, Campi Flegrei and Sannio.”
“[M]edium-bodied Falanghina offers an amazingly fresh, clean, dry taste, great acidity, and a long and floral finish. It’s almost like it was made for summer weather—the typical flavor profile is ripe fruit in the peach/lemon/pineapple realm with good acidity—more ripe and “tropical” than many wines from Friuli and Alto-Adige regions.”
“The signature of Falanghina is its vibrant acidity; this is enhanced when the grapes are planted near the coast, as with the Villa Matilde estate in Caserta (Falerno del Massico DOC) or the Campi Flegrei DOC that hugs the shoreline just north of Napoli. Yet even inland in Benevento (Sannio DOC) and in Avellino, Falanghina maintains its healthy acidity. This is a wine with lovely aromatics; apple and pear are most common, but today, the best bottlings offer greater complexity in their perfumes, including notes of quince, acacia, white peaches and even some tropical fruits such as kiwi or guava. As the aromatics are so special, most offerings are aged in stainless steel.”
“Falanghina hits all the right spots: it is capable of producing wines of real interest with pure, transparent white fruit aromas, often framed by a fine breadcrumb note from lees ageing. Falanghina comes in a variety of styles, from fresh easy drinking wines to serious, ageworthy and minerally samples at modest alcohol levels. Mature wines can even show a hint of petrol similar to that of aged Riesling.”
“Wine made from Falanghina has a straw-yellow color, tending toward golden with an intense and fruity nose. It usually has softer acid and a pleasant, persistent finish.”
“And it’s no coincidence that it comes from Southern Italy, a region long known for its lusty, rustic reds but that I'm increasingly coming to recognize as the source of full-bodied, full-flavored complex whites that merit broader recognition…A full-bodied, well-structured and complex wine.”
“This native of Campania, in southern Italy, has a floral-mineral profile that sits well with its mostly coastal environs around Naples, where it is very much a foil to seafood…I remember the delight of my first taste of Falanghina…It was too weighty to be easily dismissed like a Pinot Grigio, too curious to be filed next to most Soave. But the same clean, crisp, stainless-steel winemaking that made Falanghina a star is also causing its Grigio-ification, by which I mean: What had been a curious country grape was taken to the big city, and if it didn’t lose its soul, all those fancy trappings might have stripped some of its character. It is now being made by some of the most notable wineries of southern Italy, and while their interpretations are faultless, they haven’t held my interest nearly so well in the past couple years.”