Basilicata

Is a region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia (Puglia) to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It also has two coastlines: a 30-km stretch on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania and Calabria, and a longer coastline along the Gulf of Taranto between Calabria and Apulia. The region can be thought of as the “instep” of Italy, with Calabria functioning as the “toe” and Apulia the “heel”. The region covers about 10,000 km2 and in 2010 had a population slightly under 600,000. The regional capital is Potenza.

The region is divided into two provinces: Potenza and Matera. Basilicata is an emerging tourist destination, thanks in particular to the city of Matera, whose historical quarter I Sassi became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.  It has also been designated European Capital of Culture 2019. The New York Times ranked Basilicata third in its list of “52 Places to Go in 2018”, defining it “Italy’s best-kept secret”.

Cultivation consists mainly of sowables (especially wheat), which represent 46% of the total land. Potatoes and maize are produced in the mountain areas. Olives and vine production is relatively small with about 31,000 hectares under cultivation. The terrain is mountainous and hilly with poor transportation routes that hinders harvesting. Most oils are sold unbranded and only 3% is exported.

A quality wine called “Aglianico del Vulture” is produced around Rionero and received the d.o.c. classification in 1971. There are several wines such as Vino Spumante Rosso d.o.c., Aglianico di Matera from Matera produced from a mixture of the Montepulciano and other grapes. Wikipedia