Food & Wine · Cilento Cuisine
Food pairings:
Aglianicone
at the table
A wine of the land pairs best with the flavours of the same land. Here's how to bring Cilento to your table.
Food & Wine · Cilento Cuisine
A wine of the land pairs best with the flavours of the same land. Here's how to bring Cilento to your table.
Aglianicone grows between the sea and the mountains of the Cilento National Park. Its profile — silky tannins, fresh acidity, medium body — makes it naturally versatile. But the finest pairings remain those that tell the same story as the wine: the cucina cilentana, a cuisine modest in ingredients and extraordinarily rich in flavour.
"The terroir rule: a mountain wine calls for meat; a coastal wine calls for fish. Aglianicone grows between both — and pairs brilliantly with both."
The Menaica anchovies — caught with the ancient net off the Cilento coast and hand-salted — have an intense, briny flavour that Aglianicone's freshness balances perfectly. An unusual and unforgettable pairing.
Aged Caciocavallo Podolico from Cilento, with its buttery and slightly piquant notes, finds in Aglianicone a partner that enhances its complexity without overwhelming it. A textbook regional pairing.
Cilento lamb braised in tomato sauce — the classic Sunday dish — is a perfect match. Aglianicone's silky tannins weave through the meat fibres and cut through the richness of the sauce.
The artisan cured meats of Cilento — soppressata, capocollo, lonza — with their aromatic spices and the sweetness of pork fat, pair naturally with Aglianicone's red fruit character and fresh acidity.
Lagane with chickpeas — thick fresh pasta with olive oil, garlic and legumes — is one of Cilento's oldest dishes. Aglianicone's immediate drinkability accompanies this rustic dish without overshadowing it.
Wild boar from the Cilento National Park, slow-cooked with olives and tomatoes, calls for a structured but not overly tannic wine. Aglianicone is the ideal choice: body, persistence, no harshness.
Santostasi Aglianicone is best served at 16–18°C (61–64°F). Too cold (below 14°C) closes the aromas and firms the tannins; too warm (above 20°C) makes the wine heavy and alcoholic. A 20–30 minute decant opens up the aromatics beautifully on younger vintages.
The recommended glass is a medium-bowl red wine glass — not a giant Bordeaux glass, which disperses the delicate aromas, but a Burgundy-style or all-purpose red wine glass.
Aglianicone does not enjoy very acidic preparations (salads dressed with only lemon, citrus-heavy ceviches) which push acidity out of balance. Very spicy dishes (intense curries, heavy chilli heat) tend to amplify the tannins, creating a dry, harsh sensation. For delicate raw fish (oysters, tuna tartare), a Campanian white — Fiano di Avellino or Greco di Tufo — is the better choice.
Santostasi Aglianicone. Limited production, shipped across Italy. International orders on request.
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