The Wines of Campania by Tom Hyland

With The Wines of Campania, Tom Hyland delivers one of the most authoritative English-language works dedicated to Campanian wine in recent years, exploring indigenous grape varieties, historic territories such as Alta Campania, and the cultural heritage that continues to shape places like Pontelatone and the Monti Trebulani.

Tom Hyland and the Story of Campania Wine

Over the last several years, Tom Hyland has dedicated a significant part of his work to exploring and promoting the wine heritage of Campania. Through articles, tastings and in-depth features published in leading international publications, Hyland has helped bring attention to a region that is home to some of Italy’s most distinctive and fascinating indigenous grape varieties.

A respected wine journalist, author and expert on Italian wine, Hyland has consistently highlighted Campania as one of the most compelling wine regions in contemporary Italy, thanks to its remarkable biodiversity, unique terroirs and deep-rooted cultural identity.

This long-standing commitment to understanding and communicating the region finds a natural expression in The Wines of Campania, a book entirely dedicated to the culture, history and wines of Campania.

The Wines of Campania

The Wines of Campania explores Campania through the lens of wine, connecting history, culture, gastronomy and territory.

At the heart of the book are the indigenous grape varieties that have shaped the region’s winemaking identity for centuries. Grapes such as Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero, Casavecchia, Falanghina and Aglianico are examined in relation to their places of origin, local traditions and the producers who have preserved and enhanced their heritage.

The book presents Campania not simply as a wine-producing region, but as a cultural landscape where wine represents one of the most authentic expressions of place and identity.

Tom Hyland and the International Recognition of Campania

Throughout his career, Tom Hyland has devoted considerable attention to Campania and its indigenous grape varieties, helping introduce international audiences to wine territories that have often remained less known than other major Italian regions.

Through articles published in outlets such as Forbes and Food & Wine, Hyland has highlighted the value of Campania’s biodiversity and the importance of historic varieties including Pallagrello, Casavecchia, Falanghina and Aglianico.

Particular attention has been given to Campania’s white wines, which Hyland has described as some of the most distinctive and compelling expressions of contemporary Italian wine. His work frequently emphasizes how the region’s soils, native grapes and strong territorial identity contribute to its growing international reputation.

Alta Campania, Pontelatone and Indigenous Grapes

Among the territories that have contributed to the renaissance of Campania wine in recent decades, Alta Campania holds a particularly important place. Defined by the presence of the Monti Trebulani and a long agricultural tradition, this area has become one of the most dynamic wine regions in southern Italy.

Within this landscape lies Pontelatone, a historic wine-growing area closely linked to Casavecchia and Pallagrello, two grape varieties that were once at risk of disappearing and that today represent some of the most distinctive expressions of modern Campanian viticulture.

The recovery and promotion of these indigenous varieties have helped bring international attention back to a unique ampelographic heritage increasingly appreciated by journalists, critics and wine professionals.

The Cantine Alois Journey

For more than thirty years, Cantine Alois has worked in the territory of Pontelatone with the goal of preserving and promoting the indigenous grape varieties of Alta Campania through research, vineyard selection and a deep interpretation of place.

The project launched by the Alois family in the 1990s played a significant role in the revival of historic varieties such as Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia, alongside Falanghina and Aglianico.

The estate vineyards extend across the volcanic plateau of Audelino, the clay-limestone hills of Morrone della Monica and the Cesone area, creating a mosaic of soils that contributes to the distinctive character of the wines.

This commitment to understanding the relationship between grape variety, soil and territory has also led to extensive research projects, including a vineyard zoning study carried out in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture of the University of Naples Federico II.

The Importance of a Territorial Narrative

Tom Hyland’s work forms part of a broader effort to promote Italian wine through its territories, people and indigenous grape varieties.

Within this perspective, Alta Campania stands as one of the most significant examples of the recovery and enhancement of a historic wine heritage. Through the rediscovery of Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia, territories such as Pontelatone and the Monti Trebulani have gradually returned to the attention of journalists, professionals and wine enthusiasts.

The narrative of Campania developed by authors such as Tom Hyland contributes to giving international visibility to this heritage, strengthening the connection between wine, territory and cultural identity.

The Wines of Campania fits naturally within this vision, offering readers a deeper understanding of one of Italy’s richest and most distinctive wine regions while helping reinforce Campania’s place in the contemporary wine world.

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