The vast ocean of wine that is Italy is fed by many rivers. Sangiovese and nebbiolo, universally considered to be among the world’s great grapes, pour in to acclaim. They are joined by great floods of crowd-pleasers like pinot grigio and workhorses like montepulciano and trebbiano, which account for many serviceable but indistinct wines. Lesser-known varieties trickle in from all directions, adding wonderful flavors and nuances.

One of my favorites is a red grape that seems largely taken for granted, when it’s thought of at all. It stirs little excitement. I’m not sure why, because I find the wines delicious, structured and age-worthy.

I’m talking about aglianico, the primary red grape of Campania, which encompasses Naples and Salerno on the western coast of southern Italy, and of Basilicata, the arch and instep of the boot. Aglianico has been termed the Barolo of the South, a seemingly admiring phrase made hollow by a patronizing note. Yes, the tannins, acidity and dark flavors in aglianico bear a resemblance to the great Piemontese wine. But aglianico has much to offer of its own. Perhaps it’s time to shed the notion that aglianico’s value comes from what it resembles rather than from what it is.

To get a clearer sense of aglianico, the wine panel recently tasted 20 bottles from Campania and Basilicata. All the wines were from recent vintages. For more-accessible wines, the latest releases were from the 2011 vintage. More age-worthy wines might receive prolonged cellaring at the winery; the most recent release for some was 2006.