Without Leonardo Mustilli, Falanghina might have quietly slipped into obscurity. By the mid-20th century, much of Campania had turned its back on native varieties in favour of more commercially viable international grapes, and Falanghina was push aside, relegated to blends and bulk wine. By the late ’60s, it was edging toward extinction.

Mustilli saw something worth saving. In the 1970s, he began isolating and replanting the grape, working from the last scattered parcels and committing to bottling it as a single-varietal wine—something almost unheard of at the time. His first release in 1979 marked a turning point, sparking a broader revival across the region and re-establishing Falanghina as one of southern Italy’s defining white varieties.

Now, you’ll mostly find it stretching its limbs around Naples and the volcanic slopes inland, where warm days and cool nights coax out a style that’s vibrant and crisp, intensely aromatic and beautifully balanced. Expect to find citrus blossom, ripe pear, fuzzy peach, a flicker of almond, nectarines, and tangerine peel. A racy acidity keeps things tight and tidy, and a crisp saline edge that makes you feel like you’re within sniffing distance of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

On the winemaker’s bench, Falanghina is a shape-shifter. Most producers in Campania keep things in stainless steel—cool ferments, gentle pressing, all in service of preserving those lifted citrus and orchard-fruit aromatics. It’s a style built on clarity and precision.

But time on fine lees—often a few months—adds weight and a subtle creaminess, rounding out the palate without dulling its edge. Some producers are also exploring brief skin contact or even restrained oak, though the latter is handled with care; too much and the fruit disappears.

It hasn’t taken long for Falanghina to pique interest a little closer to home. A few forward-thinking growers have planted it in the Murray Darling—seeing potential in our warm climate and long growing seasons. It holds onto its acidity, even in the heat. Builds flavour without tipping into heaviness. A golden balance that favours our hot country.

It’s best known for its freshness in youth—bright, aromatic, full of energy. But give it some time, hitting the five to ten year mark, and the fruit broadens, the texture deepens, and a more savoury complexity will show.

It's that freshness that makes this variety great company at the dinner table. A social extrovert and close friend of food, you've found a keeper here. Seafood is obvious—grilled prawns, vongole, anything with a squeeze of lemon—but it’s just as happy alongside creamy burrata, herby salads, or a simple plate of something fried and golden. Salt, fat, acid—tick, tick, tick.

For a variety that boasts a wild freshness, it's aged examples offer a whole new thing. If you’ve not crossed paths with Falanghina before, consider this your nudge to get acquainted.