Coda di Volpe 2023, Vadiaperti

Coda di Volpe is a gift because it has real palate presence without getting heavy, so it handles both bright, herbal flavors and richer textures. Try it with orecchiette and broccoli rabe (garlic, chili, toasted breadcrumbs), grilled shrimp with lemon and olive oil, or roast chicken with rosemary and pan juices. It’s also excellent with vegetables that lean sweet or bitter: roasted cauliflower with capers, shaved fennel with citrus and olives, or sautéed chicories with a squeeze of lemon. For cheese, think salty and tangy, such as young pecorino, aged provolone, or fresh goat cheese with good bread.

This wine starts in the orchard, but it doesn’t stay there. Aromas of pear skin and yellow apple lead the way, followed by white flowers and a gentle herbal thread. Fennel frond, wild green herbs, and a subtle wet-stone/mineral note keep everything pointed. There’s a quiet complexity in the background: citrus zest, a hint of chamomile, and that lightly savory tone.

On the palate it’s medium-bodied and smooth-textured, yet it finishes with a bright, saline snap. The fruit reads golden (pear, apple, a suggestion of quince), then tightens into lemon pith, faint bitterness (in a good way), and a lightly resinous echo that adds length without sweetness. It’s the kind of white that feels calm and composed, but never sleepy.

Vadiaperti farms in Irpinia, inland Campania, around Montefredane. It’s hill country with altitude and sharp day-night temperature swings that keep whites brisk and detailed. The landscape here is shaped by a mix of clay-rich soils and Campania’s broader volcanic influence, which often shows up less as “fruitiness” and more as a savory, stony edge. It’s a place where wines tend to start a little reserved, then get more expressive with air. Freshness first, depth underneath.

Tech Specs

• 100% Coda di Volpe

• Irpinia DOC, Campania (Irpinia / Montefredane area)

• Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel

• Aged in stainless steel on fine lees for added texture

About the Winery

Vadiaperti is one of Irpinia’s quietly foundational estates, rooted in the hills around Montefredane, where altitude and cool nights give Campania’s whites their signature mix of freshness and nerve. The Troisi family has been farming here for generations, with a deep focus on local varieties and a clear belief that the inland side of Campania can produce whites with real structure, not just charm. Montefredane itself has a reputation for wines that feel a bit reserved at first—more stone and herb than overt fruit—and Vadiaperti leans into that identity.

Today, Raffaele Troisi carries the work forward with a grower’s sensibility: harvest for lift, keep the cellar choices clean and restrained, and let the vineyard speak. In 2011, he helped launch the Traerte project to further spotlight Irpinia’s native grapes, and the aesthetic remains consistent across the wines: clarity, texture, and balance rather than flash.

While the estate is often celebrated for Fiano, their Coda di Volpe is a favorite “insider” bottle. In warmer sites the grape can read broad, but here it stays composed. It’s layered, savory, mineral-edged, and quietly persuasive at the table. It’s the kind of wine that makes you realize why Irpinia matters: not because it shouts, but because it whispers intently.