Recently we were thrilled and honored to be tasting with Daniela Mastroberardino. Yet the bottles we sampled did not bear labels with the famous Mastroberardino name. The wine inside, however, was just about the most... Read More

Recently we were thrilled and honored to be tasting with Daniela Mastroberardino. Yet the bottles we sampled did not bear labels with the famous Mastroberardino name. The wine inside, however, was just about the most delicious Taurasi — or Aglianico for that matter — that I have ever tasted.

I talked with Daniela and did my own research and came across something fascinating that has somehow escaped my notice all these years. Mastroberardino was founded just after WWII by two brothers, Walter and Antonio Masteroberardino. It was their passion and determination that brought fame to their family winery, the Taurasi DOC and Campanian wine in general. 

But it turns out that all was not well. In 1994, the two brothers feuded and decided to part ways. In Walter’s telling, Antonio wanted to take Mastroberardino in a more commercial direction, while Walter wanted to preserve the winery’s more artisanal roots. According to that side of the family (as well as Italian wine author David Lynch), Antonio got to keep the Mastroberardino name, while Walter got to keep the best vineyard sites. 

Walter could no longer use his own last name to bottle wine, so he went with his wife’s instead. Terredora di Paolo was born. The Daniela that I tasted with is the daughter of Walter Mastroberardino and Dora di Paolo. 

Daniela took me through several back vintages of her wines and I loved them. I want to drink them throughout this Autumn and coming winter. I really like Mastroberardino, but I found these to be cleaner, purer and more polished than Mastroberardino’s. They show less oxidation and more intensity of expression. They are very stylish Italian wines.