Bajola Orange 2021

The Wine: Bajola Orange 2021

Bajola Orange is a skin contact wine made from a field blend of grapes - Vermentino, Viognier, Incrocio Manzoni, Malvasia delle Lipari, and Sauvignon Blanc - grown on the island of Ischia, Campania, Southern Italy. Extended maceration on the skins, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in "palmenti" cement vats, unfiltered, unfined. Bajola Orange smells of Mediterranean brush and honey. A great skin-contact wine that can be paired with white meat and roasted vegetables.

The Producer: Bajola di Alice

Bajola d'Alice is a natural wine producer located on the island of Ischia, off the coast of Campania, Southern Italy. Ischia is a volcanic island in the Bay of Naples, with a peculiar climate. Bajola is run by Alice Iacono, who took over from her parents, and who is following in their footsteps producing incredible skin contact (orange) wines from a mix of mostly indigenous varietals.


(source: il Golfo 24)

The Region: Campania

Campania is located in Southern Italy, it borders with Lazio (north), Abruzzo (northeast), Puglia (east), Basilicata (southeast), and with the Tyrrhenian Sea (west). The capital of Campania is Naples, which is also its biggest city and economic center.

Off the coast of Campania, there are several islands, most notably Ischia, the biggest, and the ever-charming Capri, with its picturesque squares and docks. Pompei is also located in Campania, within the metropolitan city of Naples, near Mount Vesuvio, one of the most famous active volcanoes in the world.

The Terroir of Campania

Mount Vesuvio is not only a tourist attraction but also a defining element in the region’s winemaking, together with the Tyrrhenian Sea. Some of the best wines from Campania, such as Taurasi, Aglianico del Taburno, Fiano di Avellino, and Greco di Tufo are made from grapes grown on volcanic soils and gently caressed by a steady Tyrrhenian sea breeze.

In Campania we find a soil formation – a combination of limestone with gravel and clay – called “regosuoli”, characteristic to the areas within the Provinces of Benevento and Avellino where Aglianico and Aglianico del Taburno are grown.

The Red Wines of Campania

Campania is one of the richest Italian wine regions in terms of indigenous grape varietals – both red and white. Among the reds, Aglianico is king, which is also the most widely planted varietal in the region overall with about 30% of the total. The two red wine DOCGS of Campania are both Aglianico-based wines.

Aglianico del Taburno DOCG: a medium to full-bodied blend of Aglianico del Taburno (min. 85%) and other non-aromatic red varietals (max. 15%), grown on limestone with gravel and clay soils – "regosuoli" in Italian.

Taurasi DOCG: a full-bodied, structured, and complex wine, a blend of Aglianico (min. 85%) and other non-aromatic red varietals (max. 15%), aged a minimum of 3 years in total, with 12 months in wood barrels.

The White Wines of Campania

The three most famous white grape varietals native to Campania are Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, and Falanghina – the first two have their own DOCG. On the island of Ischia we can find Biancolella and Forastera, whereas more inland, near Caserta, we find some of the rarest native grape varietals, Asprino and Coda di Volpe. The Gulf of Sorrento is also home to several rare native varietals, used in local blends, with Suppezza and Olivella being the most common.