Basilisco Winery, Basilicata, Italy
Basilisco Winery, Basilicata, Italy
Basilisco Winery, located in Barile within the province of Potenza, is a prestigious estate in the renowned Vulture wine region of Basilicata in Southern Italy. Originally founded in the early 1990s, the winery was acquired by the Capaldo family (of Feudi di San Gregorio) in 2011 as part of their Tenute Capaldo project, which aims to cultivate high-quality wines while respecting the traditions and terroirs across Italy. Under the leadership of Viviana Malafarina, Basilisco has become a benchmark for organic viticulture, specializing in the Aglianico grape, a varietal that thrives in the volcanic soils of the region.
The Vulture region, situated in northern Basilicata near the borders of Irpinia and Apulia, is defined by the towering presence of Mount Vulture, an extinct volcano that last erupted 130,000 years ago. This geological history has endowed the land with exceptionally fertile, mineral-rich soil, which is ideal for viticulture. The area’s cool climate, significant temperature shifts between day and night, and elevation—ranging from 450 to 600 meters above sea level—contribute to the complexity and depth of the wines produced here. Aglianico del Vulture, the region’s flagship varietal, has long been celebrated for its bold, structured profile, earning DOC status in 1971 and the esteemed DOCG classification in 2010.
Basilisco Winery is deeply committed to preserving the historical and cultural heritage of the region, particularly through its dedication to old vineyards and traditional viticultural techniques. The estate cultivates 28 hectares of organic vineyards, with 26 hectares dedicated to Aglianico and 2 hectare to Fiano. One of its most prized plots is the “Storico” vineyard, featuring ungrafted, eighty-year-old vines interspersed with olive and fruit trees. Maintaining these historic vines is labour-intensive, requiring manual cultivation and the use of traditional capanno training methods. The winery takes great care in its organic farming practices, ensuring that the volcanic, tuffaceous soil—rich with layers of flysch and deep magmatic material—nurtures the vines in a sustainable manner.
The winemaking process at Basilisco is equally meticulous. Grapes are hand-harvested—typically in late October—due to Aglianico’s slow maturation. The winery itself is uniquely housed within the ancient Shesh grottoes of Barile, a historic site originally excavated by Albanian refugees fleeing the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. These underground caves, with their naturally cool and stable temperatures (16-18°C), provide an ideal environment for aging wine, preserving the region’s longstanding oenological traditions.
Basilisco produces wines that showcase the Vulture terroir’s distinct characteristics. Its portfolio includes the bold and elegant Aglianico del Vulture DOCG, and The Crus Project Wines, a limited-edition series highlighting different expressions of Aglianico and one mineral-driven Fiano. These exclusive wines—Basilisco Fontanelle, Cruà, Fiordimarna, Storico and Sophia —are produced in small quantities (no more than 2,000 bottles), emphasizing biodiversity and the uniqueness of each vineyard site.
