I had the chance to try some great wines from Italy yesterday during a roadshow for the Vinitaly International Academy, a course of study that I did in 2019. It was great to see some old friends, meet new ones, and finally check out Contento, the hip restaurant owned by Yannick Benjamin that everyone has been raving about since it opened.

While saying hello to friends, I sipped a beautiful Fiano from Villa Matilde, a winery from Campania that I love. Villa Matilde is a historic winery and is currently imported by Kobrand. Fiano is one of three DOCG wines from Campania. Montelapio is said to be the home of Fiano, if memory serves. it is one of Italy’s greatest white wines and this one didn’t disappoint.

I was first introduced to Villa Matilde at a Vinitaly tasting some years ago. I first wrote about them at the beginning of my indigenous grape variety series in 2009. I have met the members of the family during Vinitaly and they are all quite passionate about their wines and the history behind them. Apparently, their father set out to recreate wines that were drunk in antiquity, Falermum (in Latin), in the Monte Massico area.

Vigna Camarato pictured above is a blend. It was a beautiful and elegant wine with spice and fine tannins on the palate. I remember drinking it in the middle of Vinitaly and wishing I could be tasting it at dinner rather than at a stand. Despite that and the wait at their stand, the wines are well worth it.

Villa Matilde, a winery to remember.