BASILICATA

BASILICATA:  Italy is divided into 20 regions.  If you think that the map of Italy looks like a boot, then  Puglia is the heel and the toe is made up of the regions of Calabria and Sicily.  Basilicata is the instep.  The main reason for our driving trip to the south of Italy is to visit Basilicata in search of the perfect bottle of Aglianica (but more on that below).

 Basilicata is one of the least well-off regions, and one that attracts few if any tourists (the opposite of Tuscany where one can't find a native).  We planned two days in Venosa and three days in Matera.

DIGRESSION:  For those of you unfortunate souls who do not love wine, please excuse this digression, but I must whine a bit about wine in order for you to empathize with us as we visit Basilicata.

Italy is one of the world's greatest wine countries and within Italy each region tends to specialize in a particular varietal (grape).   For example the main wine of Abruzzo is Montepulciano.  Sicily produces Nero d'Avola.  Tuscany is best known for Sangiovese (the grape of Chianti).

Aglianico (the "g" is silent) is the great wine of Basilicata.  Aglianico has been grown in Basilicata for 1000's of years, but is rarely produced anywhere else.  Most Canadians have never tried Aglianico, which is a great shame.  What makes Aglianico so special is that it is a wine that is high in both acid and tannin.

I fell in love with Aglianico a couple of years ago and since then have dreamed of visiting Basilicata in search of the perfect bottle.

VENOSA:   The best Aglianico comes from the base of Mount Vulture in northern Basilicata.  There are three towns in this wine region and we booked a hotel in Venosa, a town of 11,000.  A half-day drive from Roseta took a little longer when our very sophisticated GPS suddenly told us to leave the highway due to an accident ahead.   Along with many trucks and other vehicles we drove through the countryside until we could return to the highway.  At one point we passed several scantily clad young women (who looked African).  They were waving to the truckers, but not to us.

The main road from the highway to Venosa had some incredible curves and was only slightly wider than our large Renault SUV that Betty has been giving me a hard time about renting, but I digress.
Upon arrival in Venosa we checked into our hotel and with considerable communication struggles learned that dinner was at 8:00.  As it was mid-afternoon and we were starving we left in search of lunch.  We drove all over the town, discovering that ours appeared to be the only hotel and that the only eating place open was a small pizza/patisserie place.  Here we had pizza, beer and pastries while the staff gave us beaming smiles and the other patrons tried desperately not to stare.  The meal cost 10 Euros and 60 cents.

As there seemed to be little in the town to see other than lots of tractors (it is olive harvesting season) we decided to drive to Melfi, the next town.  As our GPS was programmed for the shortest route we had found some rather harrowing roads while in the Roseta area.  We thus programmed the fastest route hoping that that would keep us on paved highways.  Nonetheless we were taken on a gravelless, very rutted path up and over the mountain.  At first we called this a cow path, but eventually decided that no cow could make it so we changed our assessment to goat path.  Coming down a steep embankment we came to a stone bridge that didn't seem as wide as our Renault (confirming Betty's assessment).  With the windows down we eased our way across the bridge with an inch or so on each side.  Fortunately the stone walls weren't very high and our side mirrors extended above the walls.

At 8:00 we entered an elegant dining room which we shared with a family of five, a table of two men, and three singles .  There was no menu and we were just supposed to order.  Eventually we sort of learned that we could order a meal of fish or a meal of meat.  We chose the fish meal.  We were first served a plate of antipasta, then a pasta dish containing many kinds of seafood, my being able to recognize the octopus.  The main plate was large scampi cooked in a delicious but unidentifible sauce.  We ordered vino rosso and through hand signals, etc. learned that we could have a bottle or a carafe.  Not knowing what bottle to order I chose the carafe and we got a litre of the most wonderful Aglianico; no doubt the best house wine I have ever had. 

At the end of the meal, the guests in turn left their tables and presumably returned to their rooms, having received no checks.  Eventually we did the same.  I presume we will find out the cost of the meal upon checkout.

WINE TASTING NEAR VENOSA:  We spent the day driving around the countryside looking for various wineries; some we found, some we found but were closed, others we couldn't find.  However, we did find a winery called Cantine del Notaio in the town of Rionero del Vulture.  Here we tasted some truly magnificent wines.  Perhaps we didn't find the perfect Aglianico, but if not we came very close.  Hopefully the four bottles we purchased survive the trip home.  One website listed their wine La Firma among the top 100 wines of the world.