Molise is a mountainous region in south-central Italy, delegated as DOC in 1998. It is a relatively small region, especially in comparison to its neighbors of Abruzzo and Lazio to the north and Campania and Puglia to the south.
Molise is considered an obscure region, as vinification dates as far back as 500 BC but only gaining its independence as a wine region in the last half of the 20th Century. Overshadowed by its neighbor Abruzzo, of which it was politically a part until 1963 (Abruzzi e Molise), Molise finally gained three of its own DOCs, Biferno and Pentro di Isernia, in the 1980s followed by Tintilia del Molise in 2011.
Apporximately two percent of wine production from Molise is of DOC grade. Biferno wines are produced in the province of Campobasso and include reds, whites and roses. The white blends comprise mainly Trebbiano Toscano with smaller portions of Bombino, while the reds lean towards Montepulciano combined with a little Aglianico and some Trebbiano Toscano. Pentro di Isernia also produces all three, although its red blend consists of a Montepulciano and Tintilia mix. Biferno's wines differ slightly, displaying less acidity and more body because of its terroir as mountains give way to high plains that slope down towards the sea. Tintilia del Molise as per its title, is a DOC especially for the red variety required to be composed of 95 percent Tintilia. (© Wine-Searcher).
