Aglianico

Aglianico is a black grape grown in the southern regions of Italy, mostly Basilicata and Campania. It is considered with Sangiovese and Nebbiolo to be one of the three greatest Italian varieties. Aglianico is sometimes called "The Barolo of the South" (il Barolo del Sud) due to its ability to produce highly refined, complex fine wines like the famous wine from Piedmont, Barolo. The origins of both the vine itself and its name are unclear. Traditionally, the vine is thought to have originated in Greece, first cultivated by Phocians from an unidentified ancestral vine; it was then brought to Cumae, near modern-day Pozzuoli, by Greek settlers in the 8th century BC, and from there it spread into southern Italy. However, modern DNA analysis of Aglianico does not support this view, revealing little relation to other Greek grape varieties. Its parentage also remains unknown, implying that it is likely to be endemic to its region. If Aglianico was imported to Italy from Greece, no original Greek plantings have persisted. The name first appeared in print as the feminine plural Aglianiche in 1520, and several etymological theories persist. The name may be a corruption of vitis hellenica (Latin for 'Greek vine'), or of Apulianicum, the Latin name for the whole of southern Italy in the time of ancient Rome. However, since there is also no record of the name Aglianico prior to the fifteenth century Spanish conquest of southern Italy, another possible origin of the name is from llano (Spanish for 'plain') denoting a grape grown on the plains.

Source: Wikipedia