NL 47: Finding Falanghina

And a feature on the Independent, Wickhams

Keith Evans

If you’ve been on holiday to the Amalfi coast and ordered a glass of white wine in a bar the chances are you’ve drunk Falanghina! It makes an attractive wine sat in the sun and pairs well with seafood and creamy pasta dishes too. In this context it’s another of those Italian easy-going local whites (think Soave, Pecorino, Pinot Grigio etc), in this case made from the ancient variety Falanghina which is now the most widely planted white grape in Campania. This region comprises a large semicircular area spreading inland from the city of Napoli (Naples) towards the surrounding hills.

Falanghina has a long history in Campania with some references suggesting it may originally have come from Greece. However, it’s survival to the present day in part rests on the fact that that the volcanic soils in which Falanghina was growing in this part of Italy offered some protection against phylloxera when the disease was devastating vineyards across Europe at the end of the 19^th century. Another feature of the grape is its fecundity but winemakers take this into account and now focus on quality over quantity. White wines made from Falanghina tend to be unoaked, medium-bodied, and with a strong aromatic profile. Typically, they are floral wines with bright citrus and green apple flavours and fresh acidity. They partner well with seafood, cheese, and creamy pasta dishes. It is recommended to look out for wines labelled Falanghina del Sannio DOC from the Province of Benevento.

This summer Falanghina is on the shelves of three UK high street retailers (Tesco, Waitrose and Majestic) with The Wine Society listing one too. We have tasted and compared three of the four below. You may also be lucky and find a bottle in a local independent too. Let us know what you think.

---

The Society’s Falanghina 2025. 13%, The Wine Society £10.50

This is the youngest bottle of the three with fruit from the latest vintage 2025. (The other two are 2024 wines). It comes from the La Guardiense co-operative, a large and successful group of 1000+ growers specialising in growing falanghina and supplying bulk wine to many local producers. This wine though is from the co-op’s own Janare range produced and bottled by the co-op itself.

Pleasantly aromatic it is subtly perfumed with hints of orange blossom. Citrus and pineapple lead this fruit-forward wine, nicely tempered by a mildly sweet edge. Balanced fresh acidity and a reasonable finish round off an attractive medium bodied wine.

[The slightly bizarre label depicting a witch’s cauldron references the local word for a friendly witch, in turn linking to the region’s history for witchcraft].

---

Tesco Finest Falanghina, Falanghina del Sannio DOC 2024, 12.5% £9.50 (£7.15 in Tesco Clubcard ‘Buy 3 Save 25% on selected wines’ offer until 15 June).

While labelled Falanghina del Sannio (presumably indicating the origin of the grapes) this wine comes from the Feudi di San Gregorio winery in Sarbo Serpice in the Avellino province. It’s pale straw colour is similar to the other two wines. But with more muted aromas and less vibrant flavour this wine is potentially more delicate. It therefore depends what you prefer. Grapefruit acidity and a certain spiciness is apparent but I didn’t really get the added depth and complexity promised on the label description. Nevertheless, this is the cheapest Falanghina of the three and the current Clubcard multibuy offer makes it little more than £7.

---

Mirata Falanghina del Sannio DOP 2024 13%, Waitrose £12

Another wine from the renowned La Guardiense co-operative. In my opinion this is the most aromatic and scented wine of the three. Bright, fresh, with refreshing well-balanced acidity. Characterised by wonderful fruit-forward flavour.

I love the label too, but who is this Mirata? It’s not the lady on the label …

In fact, Mirata is the name of the range with different images, both male and female, on each wine.

---

Further options from the La Guardiense co-operative:

La Guardiense Falanghina Del Sannio DOC 2024 13.5%, Majestic from £11

You only have to read the customer reviews on the website to be convinced that it’s another beautiful example of classic Falanghina.

La Guardiense Falanghina del Sannio Fremondo 2024 12.5%, House of Townend £10.65 / Tanners £11.95 (+ delivery charge)

For this one La Guardiense says: “Straw yellow with green highlights. The nose reveals intense floral and fruity notes of remarkable intensity. On the palate it combines remarkable complexity with a pleasant freshness.”

---

---

---

And now a short piece from Dave, on one of our recommended Indies.

Dave Cronin

Why not try Online or Independent Wine Merchants?

Not all, but many of us buy our wine from the big high street retailers and supermarkets and there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s safe, not intimidating and convenient when buying your groceries.

The case for online and independent wine merchants centres on quality, provenance, and curation. Supermarkets need to include mass-produced brands and algorithms, to satisfy their wider customer base, whilst independent merchants offer hand-picked bottles, direct producer sourcing, and highly personalised advice that helps you discover exciting, small-batch wines

So why not mix it up a bit every now and then, try some independent retailers or online Merchants even if they are generally a little more expensive.

You may be surprised how good and helpful they are, and there are a lot of good ones out there.

“Wickhams always have a wonderful array of delicious wines”— Oz Clarke

I came across Wickhams Wine Merchant when they started up a few years ago, Dan got in touch with me to review a case of wine for him, which I gladly did and I was impressed not only with the quality of the wines but the whole set up, communication, delivery, even the way the wines were packed.

Now, from those early days Wickhams has become a well respected Wine Merchant, even winning Decanters ‘Best Specialist Retailer’ award 2023.

Run by the knowledgable and amiable Dan Farrell-Wright, it’s a small, independent business based in the South West, built around a straightforward idea: if you’re going to drink wine, it should be worth drinking. They work directly with small family domain producers, growers who farm with care and make decisions with a light touch in the cellar.

Dan says he’s not trying to replicate the supermarket shelves on the high street, and not trying to follow trends but dealing in wines with character and a real sense of where they come from.

The wines they sell are for people who want a little more than the safe obvious choices. Selling primarily from their online website

Order 6 or more bottles and you get free delivery

They can also be found at markets and shows across the South West of England. Check out where, here.

---

---

Want to make a comment?

Particularly for those accessing our Newsletters directly from the website, comments can be made directly, via our email address - midweekwinesguild@iCloud.com. And we can add these, and our responses, onto this site. Of course if you prefer your comments to be private, we will just respond to you directly.

Thanks for reading! MidWeek Wines Guild is free to all readers. If you have found something you think others will like, please consider Sharing and/or Liking this Post. It really helps us if you Subscribe, and we also love to read your Comments.

You can contact the Guild on any matter, directly, via midweekwinesguild@iCloud.com

---

---

Coming up …

In our Sister Publication, MidWeek Wines (8th June)

More Monday Top Tips from Brian Elliott

Newsletter No 48 (11th June)

Richard Wyndham - Beautiful Beaujolais, and a Wine Quiz devised by Keith Evans!

Newsletter No 49 (13th June)

Paul Davies - Alentejo & Failed Nuns, and Dave Cronin’s Book of the Month

Note: Our ‘Thursday” and “Saturday” Newsletters are usually published on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 19.00. Brian’s Monday posts are published early on Monday mornings.

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

---