Gold in them thar hills? No, nothing to do with the California Gold Rush, in case you were wondering. Here, we’re talking about the gentle slopes of Irpinia in the Campania region of south-west Italy. And the gold? The three gold medals scooped up at the London Wine Competition by Donna Elvira Wines – wine made from the grapes they nurture on those aforementioned hills.

Here at Campania Wines, we’ve been privileged to work closely with Donna Elvira, comparatively new and innovative wine producers with four vineyards in Irpinia. The brand was established in 2010 by Tony Fink who, with his family, helped to create the first vineyard in which they lovingly planted their first vines and spent the next ten years pruning, tying, cleaning them and more importantly, ‘learning, the same way you learn when you have your first child.’

To win these prestigious awards is no mean achievement and places Donna Elvira firmly in the category of wine producers to watch, whether you’re choosing a few bottles to entertain friends and family, you’re a Master of Wine, Sommelier or Master Sommelier from one of London’s finest restaurants, or a wine trader with extensive commercial buying responsibility.

The wines are judged not only on their taste but their quality, the skill with which they are made, the value they offer and the packaging. They’re then scored on a 100-point scale. Donna Elvira’s results are testament to the excellence of their products.

Donna Elvira Settemazze Aglianico scored 92 points! It’s a fresh dry red, high in tannin with a taste of black fruit and tar – perfect for barbeques with rich meats or the vegetarian options of black bean, soy and roasted mushrooms.

And here are two wines which can surely be labelled as liquid gold!

Donna Elvira Fringilla Falanghina scored 92 points too – a crisp, refreshing white, very quaffable on any occasion but particularly with white meats, fish and cheese.

Donna Elvira Aegidius Greco di Tufo ‘only’ scored 91 points! Redolent with citrus, pear and peach, this straw blonde beauty makes a wonderful aperitif or complements seafood, risottos and soft cheeses.

What versality Donna Elvira shows. As Tony Fink tells us, ‘In today’s competitive market, a good wine is not enough to win over the customer or see success in the market. Consumers expect it to look good and be great value for money. That’s why we’re extremely proud that Donna Elvira wines scored so highly at the 2021 London Wine Competition.’

‘Winning an award is particularly important to us because it not only shows that we are making the types of wines that wine drinkers actually want to buy and enjoy, but also that we are making the types of wines that the trade wants to include in their lists.’

How perfectly that thought matches our ethos at Campania Wines, which is why we’re so proud to list Donna Elvira Wines in our online marketplace.

To finish, here’s a quote from gold-medal-winning athlete, Wilma Rudolph.

‘Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.’

Yes, Donna Elvira! Congratulations, Tony and your hard-working, skilful and passionate team, running with your dreams and achieving greatness.

Donna Elvira Aegidius Greco Di Tufo

Donna Elvira Fringilla Falanghina

Donna Elvira Settemazze Aglianico