Bacchus by Vesuvius – Fresco from House of the Centenary, Pompeii

It was rather apt that on the day I due to taste wines from the volcanic regions of Italy at a Decanter tasting, I also had a ticket to see the British Museum’s fascinating exhibition on Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum – the two Roman towns destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79.

One thing that comes across from the exhibition is that wine making, entertaining and tavern culture all played a key part in Roman life.  Bacchus, the god of wine, is represented in many of the paintings and artefacts on show and there is also some ornately decorated silverware used for serving wine.  Interestingly, the Romans never drank their wine neat and always diluted it with water (spritzer anyone?) and they also added resin, herbs, honey and spices to personal taste.  I’m sure we can all think of plenty of wines that might benefit from the same sort of treatment these days.

The followers of Bacchus – Relief from Herculaneum

The volcanic Campania region of Italy, which stretches inland from the Bay of Naples and includes the slopes of Vesuvius, was home to vineyards in the days of Pompeii and still produces top quality wines today.

Characteristically, volcanic soils (both in Campania and elsewhere) are mineral rich and capable of imparting a wonderful vibrancy and edginess to wines.  Add into the mix that volcanic vineyards are usually found on higher slopes where the nights are cool and often contain a large number of older vines (sometimes ungrafted – phylloxera doesn’t like volcanic soils) and you can expect wines with an unmatched purity, freshness and intensity.

There is a trio of grape varieties currently grown in Campania which, it is speculated, may have also been cultivated by the Romans.  These produce some really distinctive, delightful wines which are worth seeking out (better known producers include Feudi di San Gregorio and Terredora, but there are many others):

• Falanghina: a variety with bags of personality.  Aromatic, lime fresh and summery, it always tastes lovely and peachy to me, with savoury, sea-salty back notes.  Cheeky but charming.
• Greco: this wine also speaks to you from the glass but in more measured tones.  It’s citrusy with salad leaf freshness and hints of summer herbs and bitter almonds.
• Fiano: the suave elder brother and my favourite (obviously).  It’s less aromatic and more full bodied, but produces complex, mineral wines which are reminiscent of pears and hazelnuts with a touch of honeysuckle – yum!

Of the other wines from volcanic regions in Italy I tasted this week, I would also suggest looking out for:

• Etna Rosso: this a blend of the indigenous, Sicilian varieties Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio.  These make wonderfully taut, medium bodied red wines with minerality, fresh acidity and bright, crunchy red fruit.  I particularly liked Tenuta di Fessina’s unoaked Etna Rosso ‘Erse’ and smokier ‘Il Musmeci’.
• Soave: if you overlook the rather dreary, commercial wines from the plains and seek out the more complex wines from the volcanic hillsides in the “Classico” area of the region, you can find some real gems.  These wines, which are made from Garganega with possibly some Trebbiano di Soave (aka Verdicchio), are full, rich and mineral, with persistent flavours of pears, stone fruit, almonds and camomile.  Names to look out for include Inama, Pieoropan and Gini.  I’m also going to name check Sandro de Bruno (www.sandrodebruno.it) whose wines I loved last week although, sadly, they have no UK importer at the moment.

My final recommendation is to go and see the exhibition at the British Museum – there are some poignant reminders of the terrifying way many of the inhabitants met their end, but it is fascinating to experience an ancient culture which in so many ways mirrors our own.

Mount Vesuvius from the Bay of Naples