Eight native grape varieties from Calabria

Pecorello, Greco Bianco, Zibibbo di Pizzo, Mantonico, Greco Nero, Magliocco Dolce, Magliocco Canino and Gaglioppo are part of the native grape varieties that make up the great biodiversity of Calabria, the lung of the Mediterranean, referred to as the “region of many grapes,” with its 9,000 hectares planted with vineyards and rich and varied ampelographic heritage.

The region of many grapes

A generous and fertile environment for the vine, that of Calabria, motivated by the region’s morpho- geographical characteristics with its physiognomy as a peninsula, consisting of a ridge of mountains, plains, valleys, plateaus and jagged coastline, which helps to preserve the many varieties of grapes that inhabit it. We are talking about about 250 indigenous varieties, which compete in the production of 9 Doc 10 Igt. The region known as Enotria is a fabric of ancient settlements where legends and myths revolve around wine, with viticulture differing essentially into two types: the domestic one of mountains and hills (for a 90%) and the maritime one, of the coasts washed by the sea, with most of the grapes grown using the traditional sapling system.

The red varieties

The most common red berry cultivar is the Magliocco, which gives elegant and long-lived wines, and along with the Gaglioppo are symbolic of the region, expressing terroir, tradition and innovation. The Black Greek is the other grape that promises great results, especially with a few years in the bottle. The Sweet Magliocco (entered only in 2019 in the National Register of Vine Varieties) is a difficult grape to grow due to late ripening but is forgiving for its interesting olfactory complexity and lending itself to long aging. Finally, the Magliocco Canino, hard not to love it: elegant and with excellent acid shoulder that together with the tannins guarantees its longevity.

The white varieties

Among the whites, the Greco Bianco, present in almost all ranges in the region and particularly along the Ionian coast. Then the Mantonico, a grape rich in polyphenols and with an important, complex structure that frames local history and scenic beauty in the bottle, while the grape Zibibbo risked extinction and only thanks to the temerity of a winemaker today it is back on the tables, finding favorable habitat on the terraces of Pizzo Calabro and manifesting olfactory complexity and intensity on the palate. A prized expression of an enchanting territory. Last but not least, the grape Pecorello, grown mostly in the Doc Donnici area (province of Cosenza), which in the version I tasted comes from terraces with steep slopes, from heroic viticulture, with the notes of hardness and savoriness chasing each other in the glass.

The 8 varieties presented

Eight grape varieties that testify to the work of the producers, where precisely the rule applies that to produce a great wine, it is not only the suitable territory, climate and geomorphology that are sufficient, but also the human factor, as an indispensable component to aspire to excellence. It thus becomes the engine, the conduit that drives passionate winelovers to go and discover the wineries, acting as a driver for wine tourism, as precisely a testimony to the territory. And this is what emerged in Vibo, during the event organized by Saturnalia Aps., the winter edition of the already established Vicoli Divini in Vibo Valentia, sponsored by the municipality and supported by Gal Terre Vibonesi. A spin off “
for a united Calabria
” as Rosella Ruggiero, the soul of the event, said.

Present at the tasting were representatives of consortia for the protection of Calabrian wine, producers and local authorities, to learn more about and learn about the representative grape varieties of Calabria, standard-bearers of as many wine-growing areas.

TO READ THE WINE DESCRIPTIONS, WITH SCORE AND AVERAGE SHELF PRICE, CLICK ON THE TABS BELOW.