IRPINIA AREA (Province of Avellino): The weather during the winter was mild, the rainfall during springtime was average. July and August (the most important months for the ripening of Aglianico) were dry, the weather during September was good, in October it was rainy. There is good ventilation in this area due to the altitude.

MONTEMARANO (Irpinia – Province of Avellino): Giovanni Molettieri son of Salvatore Molettieri owner of Azienda Agricola Molettieri (Taurasi DOCG, Irpinia Aglianico DOC, Irpinia Campi Taurasini DOC, Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Greco di Tufo DOCG): “…we started the harvest on the 11th of November and we finished on the 25th of the month. The grapes were beautiful, flawless. Ripening was excellent. Yesterday (6th of December) we racked off Taurasi Riserva: the wine was a lovely purple red that will become garnet with ageing….We left a spontaneous grass cover on the aisles between the rows of vines and this was very helpful this year. 2010 is an excellent vintage. We made the whole range of wines. Grape yield was in line with the previous vintages: Aglianico 5-5.5 tons/hectare; Aglianico for the production of Taurasi 4-4.5 tons/hectare. 2010 is similar to 2003 considering the colour of the wine and it is similar to 2005 considering the taste…..”

TAURASI (Irpinia – Province of Avellino): Pino Caggiano son of Antonio Caggiano owner of the homonymous estate (Taurasi DOCG, Irpinia Aglianico DOC, Irpinia Aglianico Campi Taurasini DOC, Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Greco di Tufo DOCG): “…we picked the whites on the 23-24th of October and the reds on the 2nd of November. Thanks to our very careful work in the vineyard, thinning out of fruit, deleafing and topping of the vines, the grapes were beautiful and flawless. There is a lot of ventilation in this area, consequently we did not have problems with mould. Grape yield was lower this year. The wines have good alcohol strength and good acidity. The reds are concentrated and with an intense colour. The whites have good aromatics….2010 is similar to 2006….”

TUFO (Irpinia – Province of Avellino) Gabriella Ferrara owner of Azienda Agricola Benito Ferrara (Greco di Tufo DOCG, Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Irpinia Aglianico DOC):”We picked Fiano on the 7th of October, followed by Greco and Aglianico. We finished on the 29th of October. The grapes were beautiful and perfectly ripe. Yield was the same as in 2009. The aroma of the wines is exceptional due to the wide day-night temperature range in September. The forecast for the 2010 wines is good. Due to the rains in the winter and in the springtime there was a lot of vegetation so that we had to deleaf the vines and tie the shoots very often…2010 is unique and it cannot be compared to other vintages…”

LAPIO (Irpinia – Province of Avellino) Clelia Romano owner of Azienda Vitivinicola Colli di Lapio (Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Irpinia Campi Taurasini DOC, Taurasi DOCG): “We started picking on the 18t h of October and we finished on the 25-26t h of the month. The grapes were lovely. Grape yield was lower. The wine is fragrant with a good colour…We are satisfied, it is a good vintage….”

FOGLIANISE – TABURNO AREA (Province of Benevento) The weather during the winter was mild, it was hot in July and in August. There was rain at the end of September/beginning of October. Filippo Colandrea agronomist-oenologist of Cantina del Taburno (Aglianico del Taburno DOC, Taburno DOC, Beneventano IGT): “we started harvesting Falanghina for the production of Spumante on the 28t h of September, on the 30t h of September we picked Falanghina (for the production of the still wines) and the red varietals. From the 11t h of October we had rain. The clusters of the white varietals (which were picked before the rain) were flawless. We had to carefully select the clusters of Aglianico and we succeded in making high quality wine: this year we only made Fidelis and we did not produce Delius and Bue Apis (the grapes for Delius and Bue Apis were utilized for the production of Fidelis). The white wines are floral, fruity with lovely aromatics…….”

BOSCOTRECASE SUL VESUVIO, TORRE DEL GRECO (Province of Naples) The winter was mild with average rainfall. The weather was warm till mid June. During September it was rainy till the end of the month, after which the weather was good. Angelo Valentino oenologist of Azienda Vinicola De Angelis – the headquarters of the estate are in the town of Sorrento – (Lacrima Christi DOC, Rosso, Bianco and Rosato): “…we managed to harvest before the rains in October. The ripening of the grapes was good. The reds had a good concentration of colour and of aromatics. The whites benefited from the cool weather before the harvest as the aroma precursors (odourless compounds that turn into odorant compounds during vinification) were intact….Grape yield was lower this year: 6-7 tons/hectare. 2010 is similar to 2005. It is a good vintage for Lacrima Christi…”