Appreciation of Irpinia wines at Italy-Azerbaijan event

Rome - Major Irpinia wines were showcased and tastings were organised for the celebration of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Azerbaijan, which took place at Rome's Salone Margherita. Azerbaijani music and dances accompanied the tasting of renowned Irpinia wines like Greco, Fiano, and Taurasi.

The Irpinia-based wine making firm Sella delle Spine and its owner Luigi Caggiano were invited and were highly commended by major importers from the Caucasian country. "We will invite the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Italy to visit our vineyards and winemaking facilities," said Nicola Di Iorio, wine expert and writer. The Ambassador had a tasting of several wines: two red wines - the Controlled and Guaranteed Designated of Origin (DOGC) Taurasi di Avellino and the Controlled Denomination (DOC) Campi Taurasini; and two white ones - the DOCG Fiano di Avellino and DOCG Greco di Tufo. These are some of the major and most traditional Italian wines from Irpinia, a territory in the Campania region on the Appennine ridge in southern Italy.

The company was represented by its owner Luigi Caggiano and by the wine master Emilio Di Placido, along with the essayist Nicola Di Iorio. A profound connoisseur of the area, Mr Di Iorio donated his book "Rosso dalla terra" to the ambassador. The book, published by Delta Edizioni, tells the fascinating story of the Aglianico vine plant, from which Taurasi wine is made. Production follows a complex process in the vineyard and in the winemaking plant, where the wine is later aged in casks for at least three years.