Category: Company Vision

Cirò, the Best known Wine of Calabria

26.1.2018

Calabria has 12 DOC regions and they include:

  •  Ciro’
  •  Donnici
  •  Isola di Capo Rizzuto
  •  Lamezia Terme
  •  Pollino
  •  San Vito di Luzzi
  •  Savuto
  •  Scavigna
  •  Verbicaro
  •  Bianco
  •  Bivongi
  •  Melissa

However, even if Calabria got a real rich selection of magnificent wines, they are all less known, comparing them to Ciro’.

Like most wines produced throughout the world, Ciro is meant to be consumed 3-4 years after production, but a certain amount of Ciro Rosso can be aged 10+ years. This explain, partially, its international success.

Further, in the province of Reggio Calabria there are many IGT zones including Arghillà, Costa Viola, Locride, Palizzi, Pellaro, and Scilla, and clearly these local wines are mainly for daily consume. They are associated with a tasty regional cuisine, for example the wines of Costa Viola region, along the western Calabria seacoast, and are related to Swordfish and goat dishes.

Only Ciro’ can be associated to all Mediterranean cuisine and this contributes to explain why  is the best known Mediterranean and Calabrian wine, in Italy and in the world.

There are three standard types produced including a rosso (or red) made from the Gaglioppo grape, rosato (rose), and bianco (white) made from the Greco grape. Some rosso wines also contain a mixture of Greco and Trebbiano white grapes, but it must be less than 5 percent to meet DOC standards.

THE LAND OF THE WINE

Calabria is bordered to the north by the region of Basilicata. The rest of Calabria is bordered by the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. Even if it is one of the poorest regions in Italy, its economy stands out for its wonderful agriculture, including grapes, figs, olives and citrus fruits.

The Ionian Sea has a moderating effect on the temperatures for the vineyards nearer to the coast, and the area is still quite hot and dry during the day.

Due to these excellent conditions of altitude, temperatures cool down a little at night, which allows the grapes to continue to develop thru the growing season. The soils are a mix of clay, sand and marl, which is good for wine growing.

The proximity of Mediterranean Sea is decisive for the terroir, as the mass of water helps to moderate the intense heat of the south Italian summer.  The cooling and heating of the land, over the course of a summer day, causes morning and afternoon breezes, which minimize the risk of fungal vine diseases and further improve the climate’s suitability for quality viticulture.

Another key factor is that the vines grow very well, because, in terms of the topography, there are some flat long areas near the coast (less than 10% of the total country), even if most of Calabria is mountainous.

This way, the Cirò wine region is located in very flat areas in the eastern foothills of the La Sila region and extends to the Ionian coast. However, the heart of the region classical Ciro’ is centered on the municipalities of Cirò and Cirò Marina in the province of Crotone.

The soil of this area is predominantly calcareous marl with some clay and sand deposits. Further this ancient Calabrian wine region is a really sunbaked part of Italy and offers a gorgeous countryside of ancient olive trees and undulating vineyards planted with a unique red grape—Gaglioppo.

CIRO’ AND ITS GRAPE

The Gaglioppo grape is usually the main component of Cirò, giving it soft red fruit, allspice and cinnamon flavors, notes of walnuts, and a bright, acidic structure that matches up nicely with spicy meats, stuffed peppers, and pizza, lamb, and even fish like swordfish and sardine.

The Gaglioppo grape is indigenous to the area. The wines it produces are unique. The grape’s pulp is lightly colored. While the skin of the grape is thick, it does not have many tannins. To produce quality wines, producers must be willing let the grapes get fully ripe and then allow the juice to have contact with the skins for a long time to absorb both color and the tannins for structure. To do this well wine making requires temperature controlled modern equipment which can be expensive.

Another very similar DOC zone in Calabria is Melissa (about a 30 minutes’ drive south of Ciro’). The region of Melissa uses Gaglioppo grapes and produces Ciro’-like wines (mostly from Gaglioppo and Greco Nero), but does not have the same reputation (at least outside of Calabria) as Ciro’.

Instead, the region of Ciro’ is situated on the eastern tip of Calabria, about a 4 hour trip north from Reggio Calabria. Here, the area, the vineyards and the grapes of Ciro’ are designated as DOC wine or “Denominazione di Origine Controllata” [DOC is basically a label meaning that any particular wine from an officially recognized region of Italy must be produced in specific well-defined regions, according to specific rules designed to preserve the traditional wine-making practices of the individual regions].

Given that Ciro’ wine is made in the eastern foothills of the La Sila plateau and out to the Ionian coast, in the Ciro, Ciro Marina, Crucoli and Melissa communes, – then the highest-quality grapes come from vineyards employing the alberello basso vine cultivation method, meaning grapes are harvested by hand due to their bushy shape.

For economic reasons many modern vineyards have abandoned this traditional process, turning instead to the espalier trellised vine cultivation system. While espalier-trained vines are easier to harvest, the quality of their fruit is considered inferior to those grown on the alberello bush vines.

The wines of the region are predominantly red containing at least 95% of the Gaglioppo grape and up to 5% of the white Greco bianco and Trebbiano grapes permitted. Rosés and white wines from at least 90% Greco bianco and up to 10% Trebbiano are also made in Cirò but in very limited quantities.

The designation of Cirò classico will only appear on red wines. Red Cirò is typically very tannic and full bodied with strong fruit presences. It is recommended to consume it 3–4 years after vintage but it can take more time to soften the tannins.

LEGEND AND HISTORY

It is said that Cirò was offered to winners of the ancient Olympics. Local legend tells that the grapes were used to produce Cremissa, in a Greek colony known today as Cirò Marina, a beverage offered as a toast to the gods by the Olympic champions of ancient Greece. Also for this reason in the 1968 Olympics, the athletes were all offered Cirò with their meals during the competition.

Indeed, the Greeks came to the area bringing the art of winemaking. They called the area Enotria that meant “land of the wine”. There are records from the 4th century B.C., which indicate a vineyard in this area was worth six times the value of the same size field planted with grains.

Therefore, Cirò has ancient roots. Cirò may be the oldest wine in the world still produced today!

FEATURES

There are about a dozen producers of Cirò bottling about 30,000 hectoliters per year. Cirò is made also a Bianco (White), and Rosato (Rosè), but it is the Rosso that is most famous.

The Rosso must be made with at least 95% of the wine coming from Gaglioppo grapes. The remaining 5% can be Trebbiano Tuscano or Greco Bianco grapes. There are five additional designations for Cirò Rosso; Classico, Superiore, Classico Superiore, Riserva, and Classico Riserva. The first three are geographical restrictions while to carry Riserva title on the label the wines must be aged for 24 months before release.

It may be surprising to learn that a deep red wine from the south of Italy can be made with a portion of white grapes, but this is not as unusual as it might seem; the robust reds of the northern Rhone valley (Cote Rotie, for example) are often made more supple and alluring with the addition of Viognier, sometimes as much as 20%.

The Ciro Rosso Riserva wines represent the finest that Ciro, and indeed Calabria, can produce. These are matured for at least two years before commercial release, of which six months must have been spent in oak barrels. Those bearing the term classico are from grapes grown at the very heart of the catchment area, and are theoretically superior.

The wines are universally tannic and full-bodied with good structure and a high alcohol content of up to 14%. They are generally intended for consumption within five years after vintage, but it can take up to ten years to soften out the tannic structure in the more robust examples.

About the general tasting notes, these wines are full-bodied, containing aromas of red fruits and spice complement undertones of cranberries, wild berries, and plums. On the palate, the ripe tannins make for an incredibly rich, yet easygoing red wine.

About Food Pairing: The wine can pair with sausage, spicy curry sauces, hot soppressata, and tandoori chicken.

SMAF LTD

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Our Vision and Mission: Spirit, Culture, Family, Artisans

18.1.2018

 

A SOCIETY FOR AUTHENTIC MEDITERRANEAN FOOD (S.M.A.F.)

SMAF, a Society for Authentic Mediterranean Food, is also a vision and a mission. Our culture is inspired, not to a political theory, but to a “social” theory, (this explain why our enterprise is called “Society”). We are inspired to “Distributism”, which regards a specific culture of the food and of the more general Civil Society.

 

PROMOTION OF ARTISANS

Our blog intends to promote Distributism, that supports a society of artisans and their culture.

Distributism (also known as distributionism or distributivism is an economic ideology that developed in Europe in the late 19th and early 20th century based upon the principles of Catholic social teaching, especially the teachings of Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical Rerum novarum and Pope Pius XI in Quadragesimo anno.

This Distributism, sustained by Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc and many others, is influenced by an emphasis, as SMAF today intends to give with its business, on small business, promotion of local culture, and favoring of small production over capitalistic mass production. A society of artisans promotes the distributist ideal of the unification of capital, ownership, and production rather than what distributism sees as an alienation of man from work.

This does not, however, suggest that distributism necessarily favors a technological regression to a pre-Industrial Revolution lifestyle (SMAF, as “distributist” dealer, appreciates and promotes the sale of industrial productions), but a more local ownership of factories and other industrial centers. Products such as food and clothing, according to Distributism, would be preferably returned to local producers and artisans instead of being mass-produced overseas.

Well, our enterprise encourages the local consume of Calabrian products, at the same time intends to make know overseas a non-mass-produced and high quality line of Food & Beverage products, because it will promote knowledge and culture of local artisans.

 

PROMOTION OF FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES

OTOH, Distributism thinks that the economic system of a society should therefore be focused primarily on the flourishing of the family unit, but not in isolation. Distributism reflects this doctrine most evidently by promoting the family, rather than the individual, as the basic type of owner; that is, distributism seeks to ensure that most families, rather than most individuals, will be owners of productive property. This is why SMAF Ltd knows and deal with many family-owned companies of the Calabrian Food & Beverage sector.

 

SUPPORT TO SMALL BUSINESSES

Distributism puts great emphasis on the principle of subsidiarity. This principle holds that no larger unit (whether social, economic, or political) should perform a function which can be performed by a smaller unit. Pope Pius XI, in Quadragesimo anno, provided the classical statement of the principle: “Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do.”

Therefore, SMAF takes care of small businesses and promote their work and their production.

According to Distributism, any activity of production (which distributism holds to be the most important part of any economy) ought to be performed by the smallest possible unit. This helps support distributism’s argument that smaller units, families if possible, ought to be in control of the means of production, rather than the large units typical of modern economies.

The essence of subsidiarity is concisely inherent to the well-known proverb ‘Give someone a fish and you feed him for a day; teach the person to fish and you feed him for a lifetime‘.

SMAF is proud to develop good relationships with its partners and share knowledge and opportunities.

 

SUPPORT TO LIFE AND SPIRIT OF CALABRIA

Distributism has often been described in opposition to both socialism and capitalism, which distributists see as equally flawed and exploitative.  In contrast, distributism seeks to subordinate economic activity to human life as a whole, to our spiritual life, our intellectual life, our family life”. Therefore SMAF Ltd supports the idea that Calabrian Culture and Cuisine are, first, a fruit of our Spirit and a real value, regardless of the price, the cost or the profit.

Doing that our products will also teach a special happiness to our customers, that to take part to a Greater partnership, that of people working harder for the enjoyment of all.

In Rerum novarum, Pope Leo XIII states that people are likely to work harder and with greater commitment if they themselves possess the land on which they labor, which in turn will benefit them and their families as workers will be able to provide for themselves and their household. This happens in Calabria all days and the Pope puts forward the idea that when men have the opportunity to possess property and work on it, they will “learn to love the very soil which yields in response to the labor of their hands, not only food to eat, but an abundance of the good things for themselves and those that are dear to them.”  This citation clearly states that owning property is not only beneficial for a person and their family, but is in fact a right, due to God having “…given the earth for the use and enjoyment of the whole human race”.