Antonella Lombardo
Working with the winemakers driving the change of
Calabrian wines
Sergio Arcuri vini artigianali
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We are in Cirò Marina on the eastern Ionian coast of the Crotone province. Here viticulture began in the 8th century BC when the Greeks landed on the shore of Punta Alice and founded Krimisa. The wine of Cirò was the "official wine" of the Olympics. From ancient times to the present, it has always been renowned for its therapeutic virtues. In fact, more than one doctor guaranteed that Cirò is a "sure cordial for those who want to regain strength after a long illness.
"The winemaking history of the Sergio Arcuri Company began in 1880 with Peppe, the great-grandfather, who had a strong character and a great passion for growing grapes. His son Giuseppe opened his own production and sales cellar of bulk wine in 1973. But it was with his son Sergio that the cellar underwent a change, deciding to bottle their own wine to make the Gaglioppo known in purity and promote the idea of a community of Cirotan artisans in the world.
Sergio's idea is clear, and is aimed at enhancing the territory of Cirò and its native grape variety, Gaglioppo. In the cellar as well as in the vineyard, the creed is always the same: spontaneous fermentations with indigenous yeasts, no invasive intervention, and no use of chemical substances. Vinification and aging are carried out inside open cement tanks, palmenti.
Cirò Marina (Crotone, central-eastern Calabria)
Antonella Lombardo
Bianco (Reggio Calabria, southeasternCalabria)
She is located in Bianco in the Province of Reggio Calabria at the SE tip of continental Italy - an uncontaminated landscape surrounded by limestone hills rising from the sea as an extensive white spot overlooking the coast, hence its name.
A territory that tells the millenary origins of viticulture and its unique vines. The countryside landscape preserves ancient 'palmenti' (millstones) carved into the rock, small vineyards, some still trained as saplings and many on an ungrafted foot, owned by local families that take care of it and produce its own wine.
Antonella, former lawyer in Milan, decides in 2017 to return to the lands of origin with the aim of recovering the precious native vines and producing wines capable of telling her territory through the use of new and avant-garde techniques and methods.
Her strength and determination immediately attracted the attention of Gambero Rosso (Italian equivalent of the Michelin guide) that takes care (in addition to awarding the wines) to identify the protagonists and companies that have most distinguished themselves in the the world of wine, awarding her in 2021 as Winemaker of the Year.
5 hectares of vineyards, the oldest vineyards trained as saplings and the most recent with espaliers, are conducted under organic regimes in full respect of the small ecosystem in which they are located.
The cultivated vines are the autochthonous Greco di Bianco and Mantonico white grapes, and Gaglioppo, Nerello Mascalese, Alicante and Calabrese Nero red grapes
Cantine Benvenuto
(Francavilla Angitola, central-western Calabria)
We are in Francavilla Angitola (VV), a small village adjacent to the more famous and touristy town of Pizzo. This hilly territory is located halfway between the countryside and the sea, facing the Costa degli Dei and with its back to the Regional Park of the Serre. Wine played a leading role here until the 1800s, but then the tradition was interrupted due to migrations and wars. Giovanni, born in Abruzzo and with a father from Calabria, after obtaining a degree in Agricultural Sciences, decided to revive his paternal grandfather's vineyards to create what is today one of the most interesting realities in the Calabrian territory. The goal is to revive the wine-growing traditions linked to the cultivation of Zibibbo. Here, no one was growing it anymore, and its winemaking in Calabria was not provided for by law. Thanks to Giovanni's efforts, in 2013 the region updated the registry and gave the ok. The rest is the story of a grape variety that became great, included among the Slow Food Presidia.
10 hectares of vineyards are located on terraced granitic soils facing the sea, which descend to the valley floor and are characterized by a sweet and savory sea breeze. A unique microclimate that gives salinity and minerality to the wines.
The mission of the Benvenuto winery is to express through its wines in the Calabrian territory. A story that starts from the selected grapes: Malvasia and Zibibbo with white berries, Magliocco and Calabrese with red berries. In 2020, the New York Times included its Zibibbo IGP (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) in dry version among the 20 best white wines in Italy.
Cantine Elisium
Borgo Partenope (Terre di Cosenza, northern Calabria)
We are on the slopes of the Sila plateau, on a hill at 580 m above sea level surrounded by centuries-old olive groves that slope down into a valley with an excellent south, south-west exposure, within the DOP Terre di Cosenza. Here, the vine has played a central role in the economy of the place since the 16th century. The wines of Terre di Cosenza were once highly prized as exclusive wines of the tables of the ancient local nobility.
The brothers Andrea and Marco Caputo were brave to decide to venture into the Elisium Winery. They bet on a territory that is not easy to manage, where viticulture is defined as heroic, and on the native cultivars Magliocco Dolce with red berries and Pecorello with white berries. The 4 hectares of vineyards are located on a territory characterized by steep slopes, up to 45%. This implies extreme mountain conditions, high cultivation and management costs, and a higher risk of weather adversities. In contrast, the wines obtained are more sustainable, with great finesse and elegance. In 2022, the brothers stood out by winning two "Grand Gold Medals" at the World Extreme Wine Competition.
The competition selects the best wines from extreme viticulture with the aim of promoting and preserving the productions of small wine-growing areas that are characterized by history, tradition, and uniqueness, of great environmental and landscape value where mainly autochthonous grape varieties are grown. These are authentic "islands of viticultural biodiversity" that, however, run the risk of disappearing due to the high production and implementation costs of the vineyards.
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Le Moire
Motta S. Lucia (Savuto Valley, eastern Calabria)
The territory is that of the Savuto valley between the provinces of Catanzaro and Cosenza, crossed by the river of the same name, with the Sila massif behind it. The wines from this area were known and highly valued by the ancient Romans, and over the centuries, the wine-making tradition has continued until today. Paolo Chirillo, a physician turned winemaker, in 2006 bet on his native territory and founded the "Le Moire" winery, which has the future of memory as its vision and the redemption of the territory as its mission.
The Moire, figures belonging to Greek mythology, were the personification of destiny. Three sisters who spin, weave and break the thread of life, to symbolize the producer's trust in his land, Calabria, which screams in the sun for redemption. Six hectares of vineyards on the hills of the middle Savuto, the vineyards are located about 400 meters above sea level on a ridge overlooking the Savuto river, surrounded by pristine forests. The virgin ecosystem allows for a biological regime, a microclimate characterized by temperature swings that intensify the aromas of the grape varieties, and a predominant evening sun exposure that favors slow maturation. The undisputed protagonists of this "alma tellus" of the cultivars could only be the two thoroughbreds that have always roamed in these terroirs: Magliocco Dolce for reds and rosés; Mantonico for white.
