Study / Region guides
Calabria
1 DOCG and 9 DOCs. Examined in Unit 2: Central and Southern Italy.
- Borders
- Basilicata, Sicily
- Wine provinces
- Crotone, Catanzaro, Reggio Calabria, Cosenza
The land
Calabria is the toe of the boot and nearly all mountain, with the Pollino, Sila and Aspromonte massifs running down its length.
It has two coasts. Cirò, the best known zone, is on the Ionian side in the province of Crotone.
The grapes
Gaglioppo is the grape of Cirò: pale, tannic and high in acid. Magliocco leads around Cosenza. Greco Bianco and Mantonico make the whites and the sweet wines.
Which grape leads which appellation
- Gaglioppo 2
- Cirò Classico, Cirò
- Greco Bianco 1
- Greco di Bianco
Local names
- Ansonica
- Inzolia, in Bivongi
- Calabrese
- Nero d'Avola, in Bivongi, Terre di Cosenza
- Traminer
- Gewürztraminer, in Scavigna
In the vineyard and cellar
Cirò is made as red, rosato and white. Greco di Bianco is a rare passito from the far south.
History and trade
Greek settlers planted vines here from the 8th century BC, and Cirò claims descent from the wine they called Krimisa. The region had no DOCG until Cirò Classico in 2025.
The DOCGs
Oldest first. The year is when each one became a DOCG.
| Appellation | DOCG since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cirò Classico | 2025 | Gaglioppo (min 90%) | Crotone |
The DOCs
| Appellation | DOC since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bivongi | 1996 | Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Nocera, Calabrese (Nero d'Avola), Castiglione; Greco Bianco, Guardavalle, Montonico, Malvasia, Ansonica | Reggio Calabria |
| Cirò | 1969 | Gaglioppo (min 80%); Greco Bianco for the white | Crotone |
| Greco di Bianco | 1980 | Greco Bianco (min 95%, genetically Malvasia di Lipari) | Reggio Calabria |
| Lamezia | 1978 | Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Magliocco, Nero d'Avola; Greco Bianco, Malvasia, Mantonico | Catanzaro |
| Melissa | 1979 | Gaglioppo, Greco Nero; Greco Bianco, Trebbiano, Malvasia | Crotone |
| Sant'Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto | 1979 | Gaglioppo (40 to 60%), Nocera, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Malvasia Nera, Greco Nero | Crotone |
| Savuto | 1975 | Gaglioppo, Magliocco, Greco Nero, Nerello Cappuccio, Sangiovese; Greco Bianco, Mantonico, Chardonnay | Cosenza, Catanzaro |
| Scavigna | 1994 | Gaglioppo, Magliocco, Nerello Cappuccio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot; Chardonnay, Greco Bianco, Traminer, Malvasia | Catanzaro |
| Terre di Cosenza | 2011 | Magliocco, Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Calabrese, Aglianico; Greco Bianco, Guarnaccia, Mantonico, Pecorello | Cosenza |
Facts that get tested
The kind of thing an exam asks about Calabria. Cover the answers and try them.
Which became Calabria's first DOCG, in 2025?
Cirò Classico. It covers the historic heart of Cirò, in the communes of Cirò and Cirò Marina.
Greco di Bianco is
A sweet passito from the Ionian coast. Bianco here is a town near the toe of Italy, in the province of Reggio Calabria.
Which red grape leads in the province of Cosenza?
Magliocco. Gaglioppo dominates Cirò on the Ionian side. Magliocco is the grape of Terre di Cosenza.
Which of these is not a Calabrian mountain massif?
Gran Sasso. Gran Sasso is in Abruzzo. Calabria is almost all mountain, with Pollino in the north, Sila in the middle and Aspromonte at the toe.
Think you've got it?
Twenty questions on Calabria, with every wrong answer drawn from the region and its neighbours.
Quiz me on Calabria