Calabrian wine ( Italian: ''Vino Calabrese'') is Italian wine from the

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of southern Italy. Over 90% of the region's wine production is

red wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice from most purple grap ...

, with a large portion made from the

Gaglioppo Gaglioppo is a red wine grape that is grown in southern Italy, primarily around Calabria. The vine performs well in drought conditions but is susceptible to Uncinula necator, oidium and peronospora. The grape produces wine that is full-bodied, ...

grape. Calabria has 12 '' Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) regions, but only 4% of the yearly production is classified as DOC wine. The region is one of Italy's most rural and least industrialized with per capita income less than half of the national average.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 122-123 Oxford University Press 2006 Following World War II, many of Calabria's inhabitants emigrated to

Northern Italy Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...

, the United States,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and Argentina. Those left behind have been slow to develop a vibrant wine industry with only the red wines of Cirò garnering much international attention. Today Calabrian wines are mostly produced to high alcohol levels and sold to co-operatives who transfer the wines to the northern Italian wine regions to use as blending component. There are no '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) regions, but Calabria does have 12 '' Indicazione Geografica Tipica'' (IGT) designations.M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 226-231 Hungry Minds 2001

History

The region of Calabria was first cultivated by the

Oenotrians The Oenotrians (Οἴνωτρες, meaning "tribe led by Oenotrus" or "people from the land of vines - Οἰνωτρία") were an ancient Italic people who inhabited a territory in Southern Italy from Paestum to southern Calabria. By the sixth ce ...

, and then by the ancient Greeks. The Greek athlete Milo of Croton was from this region and was reported to drink of Ciró wine each day. Tradition has that the wine is still made in the same way today as it was in Milo's time. During the 1st century AD, Pliny the Elder included Calabrian wine in his listings of quality Italian wines.H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'' pg 64 Simon and Schuster 1989

Climate and geography

Calabria is located at the "toe" of the Italian peninsula and is characterized by its Mediterranean climate. To the north is the

Apennine Mountains The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...

forming the border with

Basilicata it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = ...

. The

Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including C ...

forms the eastern and southern borders followed by the Strait of Messina (separating Calabria from Sicily) and Tyrrhenian Sea forming the western border. The winters are mild, with average temperatures around 10°C, rarely dropping below 5°C. The climate near the coast is very hot and dry throughout most of the year. The majority of the region's wine production takes place in the central areas of the eastern and western coastlines.

Regions

Cirò

The Cirò wine region is located in the eastern foothills of the La Sila region and extends to the Ionian coast. The region's ''classico'' (or heartland) is centered on the '' comuni'' of Cirò and Cirò Marina in the province of Crotone. The soil of this area is predominantly calcareous

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...

with some clay and sand deposits. The wines of the regions are predominantly red containing at least 95% of the

grape and up to 5% of the white

Greco bianco Greco is an Italian wine grape that may be of Greek origin. The name relates to both white ''(Greco bianco)'' and black ''(Greco nero)'' grape varieties. While there is more land area dedicated to ''Greco nero'', the ''Greco bianco'' is the g ...

and

Trebbiano Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...

grapes permitted.

Rosé A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the skin contact method. ...

s and white wines from at least 90% Greco bianco and up to 10% Trebbiano are also made in Cirò but in very limited quantities. While a common

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

of Trebbiano is ''Greco'', the grape is separate and distinct from the Calabrian wine grape Greco bianco. The designation of ''Cirò classico'' will only appear on red wines. Red Cirò is typically very

tannic Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanne ...

and full bodied with strong fruit presences. It is often meant to be consumed 3–4 years after vintage but can take more time to soften the tannins. It is said that Cirò was offered to winners of the ancient Olympics.

Other wine regions

Of the remaining 11 DOC regions, Melissa and Isola di Capo Rizzuto are located near Cirò along the Ionian coast. In the far southern province of Reggio Calabria are the Bianco and Bivongi regions. The western wine regions are located in the provinces of Catanzaro and

Cosenza Cosenza (; local dialect: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000; the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Province of Cosenza, which has a populati ...

. They include the DOCs of

Donnici Cosenza (; local dialect: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000; the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Province of Cosenza, which has a popul ...

, Lamezia Terme, Pollino, San Vito di Luzzi,

Savuto The Savuto is a river and valley in Calabria, Southern Italy, that lies at the intersection of the provinces of Province of Cosenza, Cosenza and Province of Catanzaro, Catanzaro. It is also the name of a Denominazione di Origine Controllata, DOC ...

, Scavigna and

Verbicaro Verbicaro ( Calabrian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. People *Mons. Francesco Cava – priest International relations Verbicaro is twinned with: * Oberstenfeld, Germany ...

. *Bianco- The DOC of Greco di Bianco is one of the few predominant white wine regions in Calabria. The area produces most sweet wine from the Greco bianco grape that have alcohol contents of at least 17%. The wines are typically produced as straw wines with the grapes being partially dried prior to pressing and

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...

. Greco di Bianco is characterized by a deep amber color and aromas of citrus and

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

s. *Bivongi-The DOC of Bivongi is one of Calabria's newest DOCs and produces red and rosé wines from blends of Gaglioppo, Greco nero, Nocera, Castiglione and Calabrese. The few white wines made in this region are dry wines made from a blend of Greco bianco, Guardavalle,

Mantonico bianco Mantonico bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety grown in the Calabria wine region of southern Italy. The grape should not be confused with the similarly named Calabrian grape Montonico bianco or with Guardavalle, which is known as Mantonic ...

(potentially

Malvasia bianca Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world ...

and

Ansonica Ansonica or Inzolia is a white Italian wine grape planted primarily in western Sicily where it can be used to produce Marsala wine. The grape is noted for its nutty aroma. In Tuscany, the grape is known as Ansonica. J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson ...

as well as up to 30% of other available white grape varieties. *Donnici- The Domnici DOC is located south of

on the western slopes of the La Sila plateau. The production is mainly red wine made from Gaglioppo with some blending of Greco nero and Mantonico nero. *Isola di Capo Rizzuto- The DOC of Sant'Anna di Isola di Capo Rizzuto is located south of commune of Melissa. The region was once an island but overtime the marshland around it filled in and connected the region to the mainland. The DOC produces dry red and rosé wines from Gaglioppo, Nocera, Nerello Mascalese (and the related Nerello Cappuccio), and up to 35% of added Malvasia and Greco bianco. *Lamezia Terme- The DOC of Lamezia-Sambiase is located on the plains and hill side regions around the

Gulf of Sant'Eufemia A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...

near the Sant'Eufemia d'Aspromonte along the Tyrrhenian Sea. The region is very warm, allowing the grapes to fully ripen and develop body and alcohol levels. The region produces red and rosé wines from Gaglioppo, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Greco nero, Magliocco and

Marsigliana Magliocco Dolce (also known as Marsigliana ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown mostly in the Calabria region of southern Italy. In agricultural census counts, plantings of Magliocco Dolce are often grouped with the related, but di ...

. The white wines from the region are made from Greco bianco, Malvasia bianca and Trebbiano. *Melissa-The Melissa DOC is located south of Cirò and produces wines of similar style, though not with the same international reputation of quality. The red wine grapes of the region are the Gaglioppo and Greco nera with some blending of the white wine grapes Greco bianco, Malvasia bianca and Trebbiano. *Pollino- The Pollino DOC is named for the nearby mountain range that forms part of the Apennines. Located near the border with Basilicata, the region produces pale, cherry red wines that need 2–3 years to develop. The wines are made primarily with Gaglioppo and Greco nero with up to 20% of white grape varieties permitted in the blend. *San Vito di Luzzi- The DOC of San Vito di Luzzi is located in the hamlet of San Vito near the commune of

Luzzi Luzzi ( Calabrian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is loc ...

. The red and rosé wines from this region are produced with Gaglioppo, Malvasia nera, Greco nero and Sangiovese. The white wines are produced from Malvasia bianca, Greco bianco and up to 40% of other local white wine varieties. *Savuto- The Savuto DOC is located south of the Donnici region in mountainous terrain that stretches to the coast. The vineyards located closer to the interior are cooler than other parts of Calabria, producing wines with lower alcohol levels. The red and rosé wines from this region are produced with Gaglioppo, Greco nero, Nerello Cappuccio, Magliocco, Sangiovese and up to 25% of the white wine grapes Malvasia bianca and Pecorello. *Scavigna- The Scavigna DOC is located south of Savuto on the western coast of Calabria. The dry red and rosé wines from this region are made with at least 60% Gaglioppo and Nerello Cappuccio with a blend of other local red wine varieties. The white wines are blend of Trebbiano,

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...

, Greco bianco and Malvasia bianca. *Verbicaro- The DOC are of the Verbicaro region are located in the Pollino foothills, west of Pollino DOC region and extends to the Tyrrhenian coast. The dry red and rosé wines from this region are made from Gaglioppo and Greco nero with a small amount of the white wine grapes Greco bianco, Malvasia bianca and Guarnaccia bianca blended in. Those same white grapes also produces the limited amount of Verbicaro bianco.

IGTs

Throughout Calabria there are 12 distinct IGT zones and one overlapping "Calabria" designation that covers the entire region. In the province of Catanzaro is Valdamato. The province of Cosenza included Condoleo, Esaro and

Valle del Crati Valle may refer to: * Valle (surname) Geography *"Valle", the cultural and climatic zone of the dry subtropical Interandean Valles of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina *University of Valle, a public university in Cali, Colombia ...

, but these have merged into Terre Di Cosenza DOC in 2011 including also the old Donnici, Pollino, San Vito di Luzzi, and Verbicaro DOCs. In the province of Crotone is Lipuda and

Val di Neto Rocca di Neto is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Crotone in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is crossed by the Neto river from which it takes its current name; until 1863 it was known as Rocca Ferdinandea in honour of king Ferdin ...

. The province of Reggio Calabria includes the most IGT zones with Arghillà,

Costa Viola Costa may refer to: Biology * Rib (Latin: ''costa''), in vertebrate anatomy * Costa (botany), the central strand of a plant leaf or thallus * Costa (coral), a stony rib, part of the skeleton of a coral * Costa (entomology), the leading edge of t ...

, Locride, Palizzi,

Pellaro The territory of the municipality of Reggio Calabria and the division and numbering of the districts with Pellaro as 15 Pellaro is the southernmost quarter of the commune of Reggio Calabria, southern Italy. It has approximately 13,000 inhabitant ...

, and Scilla.

References

External links

*Italian Mad
Calabria wine region
*Made in Ital

*Italian wine countr
Wine region Map
{{Cuisine of Italy Wine regions of Italy Cuisine of Calabria