Tintilia del Molise

Recognized in 2011, Tintilia del Molise isolates itself from neighboring central Italian appellations through strict quality baselines and a mandate for varietal purity. Unlike more flexible regional blends, this DOC requires at least 95 percent of the native Tintilia grape, cultivated strictly at altitudes of 200 meters or higher across designated municipalities in Campobasso and Isernia. The appellation strictly forbids common Italian wine descriptors like "superiore" or "vecchio" to focus on pure varietal expression. Historically documented by agronomist Raffaele Pepe in 1810, this deeply colored red—with a name likely derived from the Spanish word "tinto"—demands low yields capped at 8.0 tons per hectare.