Fee-Ah-Noh
Fiano is a white wine varietal from Italy, mainly grown in southern regions, such as Campania and Sicily. Despite its quality, Fiano isn’t widely recognised outside of Italy. The grape has seen some success in regions of Australia.
Fiano has been cultivated since Ancient Roman times, and although its history is a bit murky, it is believed that it might even have been grown by the Ancient Greeks.
On the vine, Fiano’s fruits are thick-skinned, small, and don’t yield much juice. This is one reason why Fiano hasn’t gained much international recognition. It also experienced a drop in popularity within Italy after the phylloxera outbreak. More recently though, it has been recognised as one of Italy’s classic high-quality grapes and has been steadily rising in popularity.
Fiano Tasting Notes
Fiano can be made in a few different styles, so its body ranges from light to medium. It shows balanced levels of acidity and typically falls between 11.5 – 13.5% ABV. In the glass, it is usually pale straw-colored.
Fiano is richly flavored for white wine, often showing strong nutty flavors, stone fruits, citrus and tropical fruits. When you’re trying out some Fiano, look for fruity flavors of peach, apricot, honeydew melon, grapefruit, pineapple and orange zest, along with mineral notes, spice, flora, and hazelnut. As it ages in the bottle, Fiano can quickly develop some tertiary flavors, including stronger nutty notes and honey-like elements.
Fiano Styles
You can find Fiano in two main styles, dry and sweet. Fiano is heavily influenced by terroir, so its dry versions can range from lighter iterations with strong minerality, to rich and nutty medium-bodied wines. Another deciding factor in Fiano’s richness is how long the grapes are left in contact with their lees after fermentation.
Sweet Fiano dessert wines have a thicker mouthfeel and more prominent dry fruit flavors.
Fiano is great at retaining its medium levels of acidity, even in very hot climates, so similar styles can be found abroad, in Australian regions like Clare Valley, Murray Darling and McLaren Vale.
Fiano Classifications
Fiano is mostly found in Italy, under the Italian wine classification system. Multiple DOC appellations can also be found across southern Italy, in Campania and Puglia.
However, the most famous version of Fiano is Fiano di Avellino, produced in the Avellino DOCG appellation of Campania. This wine must be made from at least 85% Fiano, with the remaining 15% made from any combination of Fiano, Trebbiano, Greco or Coda di Volpe. In Avellino, the grape is grown alongside hazelnut trees, and it is famed for its nutty profile.
When To Drink Fiano
Fiano is a great crowd-pleaser, a versatile white wine with a flavorful punch that can be paired with a variety of dishes. It can be enjoyed in any season but is truly the perfect refreshment in hot summer weather. Fiano does best with lighter meats but can match flavorful marinades or glazes. Think along the lines of grilled chicken with salsa, or honey and garlic glazed salmon.
There’s no need to decant Fiano before serving. It’s usually best served chilled, between 45-55 ºF (7 -12ºC).
Best Years To Drink Fiano
High-quality Fiano’s can be aged, but not for particularly long. After 1-3 years, most Fiano’s will have developed as much as they ever will, with interesting notes of hazelnut and honey. For this reason, they may be a good choice for beginners at cellaring, showing some interesting results after a relatively short amount of time. As a general rule, Fiano shouldn’t be aged in the bottle for longer than 5 years.
Fiano Nutrition Facts
A glass of single-varietal Fiano will contain approximately:
106 calories
14.8 grams of alcohol
Fun Facts About Fiano
In the vineyard, Fiano fruits have an inherent sweetness that attracts bees, leading to the Latin name of the vine, Vitis Apiana, roughly meaning “the vine that bees love”.
Fiano grows well in the vicinity of the Apennine Mountains, due to the volcanic soil.
In the Avellino DOCG appellation, it is also permitted to label the wines as “Apianum” as a reference to the Ancient Roman wine, which may well have been made from Fiano.
