Fiano is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Campania region of southern Italy and on the island of Sicily.

To learn more about this grape – read on.  To find wines made with this grape, scroll down to the bottom.

In Campania, this fairly strong flavored white wine grape is particularly noted around Avellino where the Denominazione di origine controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wine of Fiano di Avellino is produced.  The grape has a long history in the Campanian region and is believed to have been the grape behind the ancient Roman wine Apianum.  Even today, the name Apianum is permitted to appear on wine labels of the DOCG wine Fiano di Avellino.

Outside of Italy, several Australian wine producers have begun to use the grape. Production seems to be increasing, although the number of vineyards growing it is still small.  One place of production is in the McLaren Vale wine region of South Australia and in the Hunter Valley wine region of New South Wales.  More recently, some winemakers in Argentina are producing Fiano in the La Rioja district, north of Mendoza.

Beyond its strong flavors and intense aroma notes, the Fiano grapevine is noted viticulturally for the relatively low yields it produces.

Fiano can produce an ageworthy wine that has to potential to develop in the bottle for several years after the vintage date. In its youth Fiano is often intensely flavored and aromatic with honey notes that over time develop more spicy and nutty notes. The advent of modern winemaking techniques with its emphasis on limiting oxidation and preserving freshness, have improved the overall quality of Fiano wines over the years. However, some producers that still practice more traditional winemaking techniques can still produce wines that come across as heavy and be prone to premature oxidation.

Well made examples of Fiano from favorable vintages should have a fair amount of weight on the palate with a floral aroma and notes of honey and spice with the potential to continue improving with bottle age.

The Italian wine Fiano di Avellino is often characterized as a pale straw colored wine with strong aromas of spice and floral notes. On the palate, those aroma notes are often present along with honey and nutty hazelnut notes.

Synonyms

Over the years Fiano and its wines have been known under various synonyms including Apiana, Apiano, Fiana, Fiano di Avellino, Fiore Mendillo, Foiano, Latina Bianca, Latina Bianca di Barletta, Latino, Latino Bianco, Minutola, Minutolo, and Santa Sofia.