Falanghina, a white wine from Campania, is my favorite wine to enjoy with seafood. One I particularly enjoy is the Falanghina from Azienda Agricola San Salvatore 1988. Recently I was invited by Serena Valeriani from Miriade & Partners to a lunch featuring the wines of San Salvatore and, since I was unfamiliar with the rest of their wines, I was only too happy to attend in order to learn more. Thr lunch was held at Audace Ristorante in NYC.
The speakers were Giuseppe Pagano, Founder and CEO, and Elena Spadoni Waxman, the Brand Ambassador, who also acted as a translator for Mr. Pagano.
I was very impressed by Mr. Pagano who was not only very enthusiastic about his winery but also about the history and geography of the area were his winery is located. He explained the geography and terroir and spoke about the history going back to the ancient Greeks.
Azienda Agricola San Salvatore is located in the middle of the National Park of Cilento, near Paestum in the Campania region of southern Italy. In 2006 Giuseppe Pagano, a successful entrepreneur and hotelier in the Paestum region of Campania, created San Salvatore 1988. The winery is named for Giuseppe’s firstborn son, Salvatore, who was born in 1988.
San Salvatore has quickly become one of Italy’s most environmentally-conscious azienda agricolas. There are 149 hectares devoted to organically farmed agriculture, including vineyards, olive groves, and crops that support their 550-head of water buffalo.
They make mozzarella, yogurt and gelato from the buffalo milk. Mr Pagano said there was also a restaurant on the property.
The Wines
Campania Falangina IGP 2023 made from 100% single variety Falanghina from the Cannito vineyard planted in 2008 at 150/210 meters. The exposure is south, southwest and the soil is of medium texture and deep. The training system is espalier with Guyot pruning. The average age of the vines is 19 years. After manual harvesting the finest bunches, the grapes are softly pressed and subjected to cold maceration for 6 hours at 4C. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks at a low temperature. Before bottling, the wine ages on the lees for 6 months in stainless steel tanks. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, green apple, a touch of pineapple and a note of apricot.
Paestum Fiano IGP 2021 Pian Di Stio made from 100% Fiano. These grapes come from a special cru in the Stio vineyard chosen annually. The vines are at 550/650 meters and the exposure is south. Soil composition is clay and limestone. There is 6 hours of cryomaceration followed by a soft pressing of the grapes and fermentation in stainless steel. Aging is in French oak barriques and in bottle for 6 months before release. This is a complex wine with hints of peach, green apple, vanilla, almonds a hint of fig and a touch of honey.
Campania Rosato IGP 2024 Vetere made from 100% Aglianico from an ancient terroir, in a vineyard in the shadow of the temples of Paestum, in the heart of the Cilento National Park. This wine takes its name from Magliano Vetere, a small town in the Cilento National Park near San Salvatore’s Cannito vineyards where the organic grapes used to make this wine are grown. The vines are at 150/210 meters and were planted in 2008. The exposure is south/southwest and the soil is clay and limestone. There is a cold maceration for 6 hours, followed by a soft pressing of the grapes with brief contact with the skins to extract the smallest amount of color and elegant refined aromas. Elena described it as ,“A rosé with a Provençal color yet one that speaks of the entire Cilento Region.” She also said Mr. Pagano went to Provence to see how the rosè was made there. The wine has hints of red fruit, strawberries, rasperries with a touch of violets and a note of citrus fruit.
Paestum Aglianico IGP 2016 Omaggio a Gillodorfles made from 100% Aglianico. Mr Pagano said this wine is named for Gillo Dorfles, an Italian genius of the 20th Century. He was in love with Paestum and with the majesty of its history. He spent his summers here enjoying art, the sea, the temples as well as the vineyards of San Salvatore. He was a professor of aesthetics at the University of Milan and Trieste and an artist. Above all, he was in love with Paestum and its majesty. Mr. Pagano decided to dedicate sixteen vintages of this wine to him.
The vineyard was planted in 2005 at 150/210 meters with a south/southwest exposure. The soil is clay and limestone. Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 30 days. Aging: 24 months in new French oak barrels, 1/3 Allier, 1/3 Nevers and 1/3 Troncais. The wine has hints of cherry, blueberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, violet a hint of juniper and a touch of chocolate.
Pastrami Aglianico IGP 2017 Omaggio a Gillodorfles this is a very intense wine with hints of red fruit, cherry, blueberry, raspberry with a touch of spice and balsamic notes.
Mr. Pagano said that the 2016 was a exceptional year for Aglianico while 2017 was very warm and produced wines which had jammy fruit and will be ready to drink sooner. They were very different wines.
Paestum Aglianico IGP Jungano 2021 made from 100% Aglianico. This wine is named for the town of Giungano where the San Salvatore winery is located. The vineyards are at 150/210 meters and were planted in 2008. The exposure is south/southeast and the soil is clay and limestone. Grapes are vinified at a controlled temperature. The wine is matured in stainless steel and aged for a year in stainless steel and wood. The wine has hints of cherry, blackberries, violets and spice.
It was my pleasure to meet Mr. Pagano and taste a range of his wines. I am happy to report that I enjoyed them as much as his Falanghina.
I was invited by the organizer of the event and the speaker, Susannah Gold. I have been to a number of events hosted by her and they are all well organized and informative.
Trebbiano D’Abruzzo DOC 2021 Nic Tartaglia made from 100% made from 100% Trebbiano d’Abruzzo from 41 year old vines at 303 meters. The training system is the pergola and there are 1,600 vines per hectare. Harvest takes place at the end of September. The grapes are soft pressed, followed by static clarification. Fermentation is in temperature controlled stainless steel vats for 30 days. Malolactic fermentation does not take place. Aging is in stainless steel vats. The wine is bottled in the spring following the harvest. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, lemon, lime and almonds in the finish.
Pecorino Superiore Abruzzo DOC 2021 “la Canaglia” (Nic Tartaglia is the owner) Azienda Agricola Fontefico made from 100% Pecorino from a vineyard at 120 meters. The training system is guyot and there are 4,000 plants per hectare with an eastern exposure. The soil is iron, sand and clay. It is a single vineyard wine and is estate bottled and the farm is organic. This is a full bodied, crisp white wine with high minerality and hints of grapefruit, sage, and white flowers with a touch of almonds. It is called La Canaglia, the rascal, of Fontefico because the yields are very low. There is a different label on the bottle very year because every wine has its own personality.
Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo
Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2017 Riserva “Villa Gemma” Masciarelli made from 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo on steep, sloped Colle Cave vineyards in Chieti. The soil is limestone, clay and gravel. The training system is French guyot and the farming is sustainable. Harvest is by hand. The harvest ended in October. Fermentation is in stainless steel 15 to 20 days, followed by a maceration of 23 to 30 days.
Château De Gardes “Cuvée Fût de Chêne” AOC Cadillac 2019 made from 100% Sémillon from 60 year old vines on 64 hectares. The training system is guyot. Harvest is by hand and there are several sortings of the grapes. Traditional winemaking using pneumatic press and gentle filtration before bottling. The wine is aged for 12 months in oak barrels. There is a good balance between sugar and alcohol, with hints of candied fruit and vanilla. The wine can age for 20 years.
Château Loupiac-Gaudiet AOC Loupiac 2017 made from 90 % Sémillion and 10% Sauvignon from 45 year old vines on 26 hectares. The soil is clay and limestone and the pruning system is simple guyot. Harvest is by hand as soon as the botrytis appears.Traditional winemaking using modern methods–pneumatic press and temperature controlled fermentation. Drink it 2 to 5 years if you want it fresh and fruity, or 5 to ten years if you prefer more richness, or 10 to 30 if you prefer more smoothness. The wine has a good balance between fruit sugar and acidity. There are hints of honey, beeswax, dried stone fruit, lemon, marmalade and a touch of spice in the finish. I was very impressed with this wine.
Prosecco Rosé DOC Extra Dry Millesimo NV (Veneto) Albino Armani made from 90% Glera and 10% Pinot Noir. The production area is Alta Grave Friulana and the training system is Guyot. When the cuveé is ready a long second fermentation takes place in pressure tanks (Charmat method) for at least 60 days in order to obtain a more refined perlage and complex aromas from the Pinot Noir. This is a fruit forward wine with hints of lilacs, strawberry, and raspberry. Alcohol 11% $16
Prosecco DOC Rosè Extra Dry (Veneto)
Prosecco DOC
Montefili Rosato (Tuscany) Vecchie Terre di Montefili made from 100% Sangiovese from a 500 meter vineyard first planted in 1995. The soil is galestro and alberese and the training system is spurred cordon. Spontaneous fermentation takes place with indigenous yeast. Skin contact is for 6/7 hours and fermentation is at a low temperature. The wine remains in stainless steel tanks and then in bottles for 3 months. This is a fresh fruity wine with hints of strawberries, raspberries, a touch of red currents and good acidity.
MonteVelho Rosè Esporão(Portugal )made from Touriga Nacional, Aragones and Syrah. The soil is granite/schist with a loam clay structure. The wines on the average are 18 years old. The grapes are destemmed, cooled, and after a brief skim maceration they are pressed. Fermentation is at a controlled temperature in stainless steel vats. Then centrifugation, stabilization and filtration. The wine has hints a strawberries, raspberries and touch of mint. 12.5% $14
Beneventano Falanghina IGT (Campania) Donnachiara made from 100% Falanghina. The vineyard is the Torre Cuso, the best location for Falanghina. The soil is volcanic, chalky clay, the vines are 16 years old, the training system is guyot and there are 2,500 vines per hectare. The grapes are not destemmed or crushed before pressing. Cold fermentation is in stainless steel and there is extended maceration. This is a crisp white wine with citrus fruit aromas and flavors, nice acidity and good minerality. It is one of my favorite white wines. Alcohol 12.5 $18
Pinot Grigio
Schiava Alto Adige DOC Peter Zemmer Made from a blend of various varieties of Schiava. The training system is pergola (traditional trellis system). The soil is loamy.
Puglia Rosato IGP “Maglida” 2020 Cantine Barsento made from Malvasia and Negroamaro. The soil is clay and limestone.There is are selection of the grapes at harvest. Fermentation takes place at a low temperature in stainless steel tanks.
Puglia Rosato IGP Selva della
Puglia Rosé IGP “Forme” 2021 Cantine Massimo Leone. Made from 100% Nero di Troia. The soil is Karstic and clayey. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature and skin contact is for 8 hours. Pink in color with coral reflections with hints of black fruit, red roses and a touch of spice. Caterina
Rosato IGP “Cattedrale”
Puglia Primitivo IGP “Soffio”
Puglia Primitivo IGP
Baci al Sole Rosé Veneto IGT made from 40% Corvina, 40% Merlot and 20% Corvinone. After a gentle pressing, there is brief skin contact with the juice followed by temperature controlled fermentation, then a brief passage in stainless steel. The wine has hints of honeydew melon, red berries and cherries. It is very light pink in color and it is a very food friendly. It reminds me of some of the rosé wines I had when I was in Provence. $18
Cantina Federiciane Montelone di Napoli Gragnano DOC Sorrento Peninsula 2019, Sparkling Wine made from Piedirosso and Sciascinoso. Fermentation with selected yeast takes place in temperature controlled autoclaves. This is a fizzy red wine that when poured has a lot of foam that quickly disappears in the glass. It is fruity with red fruit aromas and flavors, hints of raspberries and strawberries, and easy to drink. In Naples they often drink sparkling beverages with pizza and Gragnano goes very well with pizza Margherita. Sciascinoso, also know as Olivella, is used as a blending grape. The clusters and berries are large and it is a late ripening variety. This is a very fruity aromatic wine hints of red berries, strawberry, raspberry and a touch of blueberries. $18
Vermentino di Sardegna DOC 2019 “Tuvaoes” Cherchi made from 100% Vermentino di Sardegna from 117 hectares of vineyards planted with the Vermentino grapes at 200 meters. The grapes for this wine are a selection from the vineyards of Usini. The winery is in the northwest corner of Sardegna. The soil is limestone-clay. Pruning system is guyot.
Michael Romano with a glass of Baci di Sole and the pala Pizza Margherita
Vino Bianco “Acini Perduti” Az. Agricola Tappero Merlo made from 70 % Malvasia Moscata and 30% Erbaluce. The soil is strongly acidic of morenic origin and composed of 80% sand, 15% silt and 5% clay.
Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG “Cuvée Des Paladins” Brut Sparkling 2013. This sparkling wine is made from 100% Erbaluce with refermentation in the bottle (Classic Method). The wine is aged for 60 months on the lees. Soil is strongly acidic of morainic origin composed of 80% sand, 15% silt and 5% clay. The vineyards are at 970/100ft. Harvest is in early September. Fermentation of the must is partly In steel and partly in very old barrels. The base wine is ready to become a sparkling wine in the spring following the harvest. The pied-de cuve (process using wild yeast from the vineyard to ferment the wines) is prepared which starts the second fermentation in the bottle in a temperature controlled environment. After a slow passage over the pupitres (wooden frames for traditional riddling), the sparkling wine is ready for disgorgment which usually takes place in the spring. The wine rests for a few months and then is ready for release. The wine has hints of brioche, dried fruit, honey, and hazelnuts with citrus notes and complex minerality. This is the first time I tasted a sparkling wine made from Erbaluce di Caluso and I really liked it.
Chianti Colli Senesi 2017 “San Nicola”
Pala Pizza Margherita with mozzarella, basil and whole tomatoes.
Prosecco DOC Rose’ Brut Millesimato 2020 Consorzio Tutela Prosecco made from 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Noir from vines in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. The soil here is mainly of alluvial origin rich in subsoil. Harvest is the end of August for the Glera and the end of September for the Pinot Noir. Whole white grapes (Glera) are put into the pneumatic press for soft pressing and the resulting must is put into temperature controlled tanks where it remains until it is used for the production of the sparkling wine. The red grapes (Pinot Noir), after pressing are put into thanks where a soft maceration for extraction of and tannins takes place at a controlled temperature. For the secondary fermentation the white must and a small amount of red wine are mixed. Selected yeasts are added and put into vessels where fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature. 
Cerasuolo d’ Abruzzo 2020 “Torre Zambra“ Colle Maggio Federico de Cerchio Family Estates made from 100% Montepulciano di Abruzzo from vineyards at 180 meters with a southern exposure. The training system is Abruzzo pergola. Harvest is the first 10 days of October. Clusters are hand picked and packed with dry ice. The bunches are soft crushed as for white wine making and the must is separated from the skins after 8 hours for a cherry pink hue. There is 14 day fermentation at a controlled temperature. The wine spends two months in stainless steel vats on the lees and two months in bottle. The wine has hints of red fruit, cherry, plums and a hint of red currants and a touch of white pepper. The name cerasuolo comes from the dialect word cerasa, which means cherry.
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