Falerno del Massico

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The territory is divided almost in two by the calcareous massif of Monte Massico, whose ridge and Monte S. Croce enclose the plain and hills of Sessa Aurunca like a shell.
• The structure of Monte Massico is calcareous-dolomitic, belonging to the Apennine carbonate platform, with its oldest strata dating to the Upper Triassic and the Jurassic, formed approximately 225 million years ago.
• The volcanic complex of Roccamonfina, now extinct, began its activity in the early Quaternary, approximately 1,070,000–1,260,000 years ago, and is the true geological generating complex of the zone.
• On the south-western flank, encompassing Sessa Aurunca and Cellole, the autochthonous volcanic soils of the Roccamonfina heights are deep, loose and siliceous, with a sub-acid reaction, rich in potassium but low in available phosphorus.
• The production zone, bounded by the Garigliano river to the north-northwest, Monte S. Croce to the north-northeast and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, extends over a total surface area of 35,522 hectares.
• Rainfall slightly exceeds 1,000 mm per year on both slopes, with approximately 70% of precipitation concentrated in the autumn–winter period.

• Viticulture in the area dates back to Mycenaean Greek settlers, was continued by the Etruscans and further developed in the Roman period with the wine known as Falerno.
• The wine was distinguished according to the altitude at which the grapes were grown into Caucinum, Faustianum and Falerno, and sold in amphorae labelled with a pittacium indicating the type, vintage and zone of origin.
• The varieties cultivated are Primitivo, Piedirosso and Aglianico for red-berried grapes, and Falanghina for white-berried grapes, alongside other minor varieties typical of the area.
• The current training system is the low vertical trellis (spalliera bassa), with Guyot and spur-cordon pruning, and the most commonly used planting density for new vineyards is 2.40 m × 0.80 m.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A0249
• Official trade body site — VITICA - Consorzio Tutela Vini Caserta