Published by Leonardo Calcagno
x Le Mondial de la Bière June 20–22 in Montréal
In Italy’s most enigmatic region, where ancient sassi meet pristine mountain springs, a handful of visionary brewers are crafting liquid poetry from forgotten landscapes
The Dolomiti Lucane pierce the pre-dawn sky like Gothic spires, their limestone peaks catching the first light over Italy’s most secretive region. In the shadow of these improbable mountains, at an altitude where most Italian breweries would never dare establish themselves, Marco Santarsiero tends to his fermentation tanks with the quiet intensity of a medieval monk.
His brewery, Lucania Wild, occupies a converted shepherd’s refuge above the village of Castelmezzano, where the only sounds are wind through pine forests and the distant chime of church bells. Here, at 1,200 meters above sea level, Santarsiero has discovered what may be southern Italy’s most extraordinary brewing terroir: water so pure it requires no filtration, air so clean it carries wild yeasts of unparalleled complexity.
“Basilicata has always been about secrets,” Santarsiero observes, drawing a sample of his latest creation—a farmhouse ale fermented entirely with indigenous yeasts captured from wild orchids that bloom on the Pollino massif. “We’re the region Italians forget exists. But perhaps that’s our greatest strength.”
This sentiment resonates across Basilicata, Italy’s most sparsely populated region, where a small but determined community of craft brewers is transforming geographic isolation into creative advantage. In a landscape that has remained largely unchanged since antiquity, they’re discovering that the very remoteness that challenges conventional business models offers unparalleled opportunities for authentic expression.
The Water Advantage
Basilicata’s brewing renaissance begins with its most fundamental ingredient: water. The region’s mountainous topography, crowned by the Appennino Lucano, creates natural filtration systems that produce spring water of exceptional purity. At Birrificio del Borgo’s research facility near Potenza, hydrologist Dr. Elena Corvino has documented mineral profiles that rival the world’s most celebrated brewing waters.
“Basilicata’s geological diversity creates micro-terroirs for water,” Corvino explains, standing beside a spring that emerges from Cretaceous limestone after decades of underground journey. “Each watershed produces water with distinct mineral characteristics—some ideal for delicate lagers, others perfect for robust ales. It’s like having nature’s own water pharmacy.”
This advantage has attracted attention from established breweries seeking authentic terroir expression. When Birra del Borgo founder Leonardo Di Vincenzo scouted locations for experimental brewing, Basilicata’s water quality convinced him to establish a satellite facility despite logistical challenges.
“Great beer begins with great water,” Di Vincenzo reflects, sampling a pilsner brewed exclusively with spring water from the Monti della Maddalena. “Here, we’re not correcting water chemistry—we’re celebrating it.”
Ancient Grains, Modern Techniques
The region’s agricultural heritage provides equally compelling raw materials. In the Metapontino plain, where Greek colonists first cultivated wheat in Italy, farmer-brewer Giuseppe Lacertosa has revived ancient grain varieties that disappeared from commercial agriculture decades ago. His Brewery Terra Madre operates from a 1920s grain elevator, its concrete silos now housing specialty malts produced from heritage wheats grown in fields that have known continuous cultivation for over 2,500 years.
“These grains carry genetic memory,” Lacertosa explains, examining kernels of Senatore Cappelli wheat, its golden color deepened by Basilicata’s intense sunlight. “Modern varieties prioritize yield over flavor. Our ancestors selected for taste, nutrition, and harmony with local conditions. We’re simply completing that conversation with fermentation.”
His single-varietal wheat beers reveal complexity that challenges conventional brewing wisdom. The Grano Duro Weizen, made entirely from durum wheat grown on volcanic soils near Melfi, offers notes of honey and herbs that mirror the wild fennel and oregano growing between the furrows.
The Sassi Connection
In Matera, the ancient cave city that has become UNESCO World Heritage Site and European Capital of Culture, craft beer culture intersects with architectural wonder in unexpected ways. Birra Matera, housed in restored sassi overlooking the Gravina ravine, utilizes the natural temperature regulation of cave dwellings for fermentation and aging.
Brewmaster Carla Berloco, who abandoned a career in Milan’s fashion industry to return to her ancestral city, has developed techniques that incorporate the sassi’s unique microclimate into her brewing process. Her Gravina Gose, a sour wheat beer aged in caves that maintain constant 15°C temperatures, has attracted attention from international brewers fascinated by the interplay between architecture and fermentation.
“The sassi aren’t just buildings—they’re living systems,” Berloco explains, gesturing toward limestone walls that naturally regulate humidity. “Our ancestors understood environmental harmony in ways modern architecture forgot. Brewing here feels like collaboration with history itself.”
The brewery’s tasting room, carved from a medieval cave church, offers views across the Murgia plateau while guests sample beers that couldn’t exist anywhere else. Limited releases, available only on-site, have created a pilgrimage culture among serious beer enthusiasts willing to journey to one of Italy’s most remote cities.
Foraging the Wild
Basilicata’s vast wilderness provides ingredients unavailable to urban brewers. At Selvaggio Brewing, hidden in oak forests above Lagonegro, forager-brewmaster Antonio Grieco has catalogued over 200 indigenous plants suitable for brewing applications. His seasonal releases read like botanical poetry: spring ales bittered with wild hop vines found in abandoned villages, summer saisons flavored with mountain herbs known only to local shepherds.
“Basilicata has 35% forest coverage—the highest in Italy,” Grieco notes, leading a foraging expedition through beech groves where truffles hide beneath fallen leaves. “Most regions have domesticated their landscapes. Here, wilderness still dictates terms. We brew with ingredients you cannot buy, cannot cultivate, cannot replicate.”
His Lucanian Wild series, released quarterly in limited quantities, has developed cult following among natural wine enthusiasts and foraging communities. Each bottle contains QR codes linking to detailed maps of ingredient collection sites, transforming beer consumption into geographic education.
The Pepperoncino Revolution
Third-generation pepper farmer Luigi Rossi, working with Belgian-trained brewmaster Sophie Dubois, has developed extraction techniques that capture the fruit’s complexity without overwhelming heat. Their Diavolicchio IPA, dry-hopped with crushed Senise peppers, offers layers of smoky sweetness and gentle warmth that complement rather than dominate hop character.
“Pepperoncini are like hops—complex bitter compounds that add both flavor and preservation properties,” Dubois explains, examining dried peppers whose glossy surfaces reflect centuries of selective breeding. “The challenge is extracting nuance rather than just heat. These peppers have terroir as distinct as any wine grape.”
Their export success, particularly in Scaninavian markets where spicy foods pair naturally with strong beer traditions, demonstrates how authentic regional ingredients can find international appreciation without compromising local character.
Slow Tourism, Fast Growth
The craft beer movement has become unexpected catalyst for tourism in region traditionally bypassed by conventional Italian itineraries. Beer tourism operators now offer multi-day experiences combining brewery visits with archaeological sites, truffle hunting, and hiking in national parks.
“Basilicata offers what over-touristed regions cannot—authentic encounters,” observes tourism consultant Maria Fortunato, who specializes in sustainable travel experiences. “Beer becomes the excuse for deeper exploration. Visitors arrive for unique flavors, but leave with understanding of place, history, and culture.”
The numbers, while modest by northern Italian standards, show remarkable growth. Beer tourism increased 340% between 2021 and 2024, with average visitor spending significantly higher than conventional tourism due to the experiential, educational nature of brewery visits.
Future Foundations
As twilight descends over the Lucanian Apennines, casting long shadows across valleys where Norman towers stand sentinel over abandoned villages, Basilicata’s craft brewers prepare for evening service. In tasting rooms from Melfi to Maratea, conversations flow as readily as carefully crafted ales, each glass representing both ancient terroir and contemporary vision.
The region’s brewing future seems secure not despite its remoteness, but because of it. In an era when authenticity has become premium commodity, Basilicata offers the genuine article: ingredients shaped by millennia of isolation, techniques adapted to challenging environments, and passion born from deep connection to place.
“We’re not trying to compete with mass production,” reflects Marco Santarsiero, now preparing his evening shift at Lucania Wild. “We’re offering what industrial brewing cannot—beers that could only exist here, made by people who understand this landscape intimately.”
As stars emerge over the Dolomiti Lucane, illuminating peaks that have witnessed Greek colonization, Roman conquest, Byzantine rule, and Norman kingdoms, this sentiment feels both humble and revolutionary. In Italy’s most forgotten region, a new chapter of liquid history is being written, one carefully crafted bottle at a time.
The secret, it seems, is finally ready to be shared.
x Le Mondial de la Bière June 20–22 in Montréal
image: instagram.com/birrabaladin/