RedLead grape in 8
Gaglioppo
Calabria's red, and the backbone of Cirò on the Ionian coast. Pale in the glass, sometimes barely darker than a rosato, and then surprisingly grippy, with red cherry, dried herbs and a dusty tannin. It handles heat and drought, which it needs to where it grows. Older bottlings were often oxidative; the current generation is picking earlier and keeping the fruit.
Worth knowing
Cirò sits on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Krimisa, and the local claim is that its wine was given to athletes returning from the Olympic games. The claim is impossible to verify and every producer in the zone will still tell you about it.
Where it is allowed10 appellations
Calabria9
- BivongiDOClead grapeStill hunting
- CiròDOClead grapemin 80%Still hunting
- Cirò ClassicoDOCGlead grapemin 90%Still hunting
- LameziaDOClead grapeStill hunting
- MelissaDOClead grapeStill hunting
- Sant'Anna di Isola Capo RizzutoDOClead grape40 to 60%Still hunting
- SavutoDOClead grapeStill hunting
- ScavignaDOClead grapeStill hunting
- Terre di CosenzaDOCStill hunting