Tasting Notes: Cirò wine has a long history in Italy. When Calabria was Greece in ancient times it was the reward for winners of the Olympic Games. The grape Gaglioppo is one of Italy’s oldest grape varieties and has been producing wine for 2,500 years. Its name means long foot, not because its tannins kick you in the teeth but the fact that the grape cluster resembles a foot. It is only grown in Calabria and like Aglianico it was often sent up north to more prestigious appellations to give the wines there a firmer backbone, flesh and alcohol. Cirò is truly a one of a kind wine delivering unique flavors and aromas that you can only find in Calabria. When standing in a vineyard in Cirò Marina there is the Ionian Sea glistening in the distance. This citrus and licorice countryside really comes through in the finished wine due to the fact that the vines grow in unison with other agriculture.
Estate History: A Vita husband and wife team Francesco and Laura de Franco organically farm only native Calabrian grapes: Gaglioppo, Magliocco, Greco Nero and Greco Bianco. They goal is to not over work their soil in order to maintain soil fertility and biodiversity. For Cirò Classico Superiore the grapes must be sourced from the entire territory with a specific yield from the municipalities of Cirò and Cirò Marina and a minimum alcohol content of 13.5% as opposed to the 12.5% of Cirò “normale”. Classico Superiore can be aged up to two years before release and anything over 2 years is considered Classico Superiore Riserva. Calabria is home to the spiciest cuisine in Italy. The Calabrian chili pepper is a delicacy. It’s fun to pair Cirò with this kind of food and feel free to experiment.
