Tag: tasty

Lamezia Wine: the Phoenician culture of wine

23.4.2021

Traditionally, a gastronomy like that of Calabria does not contain fragrances so intense and complex like Lamezia wine. This wine, with its dark notes of black cherry, plum, cocoa, tobacco, Indian ink and spices, must be considered an exception.

The taste of this wine is balanced and soft, showing dark and red fruits with a little spice. It is quite strange in the panorama of Mediterranean vines finding a cultivation (it is around the town of Lamezia Terme)  both so old, dating back to 2000 BC, when the Phoenicians introduced it along the coasts of Calabria, and at the same time so rich of different grapes. The blend (mentioning only the main presence) is made of approx. 40%Gaglioppo, 40% Greco Nero, and 20% Nerello Cappuccio, all coming from the DOC area of Lamezia Calabria. Namely, the red Lamezia account for the majority of production and is made also from Sicilian red varieties Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Capuccio, accompanied by local reds such as Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Nocera and Calabrese (Nero d’Avola). The white Lamezia uses Greco Bianco, Malvasia Bianca and Ansonica grapes. Finally, the Lamezia “rosato” wine is made from the same varieties as the reds, but combined with some white grapes, which are relatively scarce, making up only a small percentage of the DOC’s output.

THE LAND

There is an interruption in the chain of southern Apennines, and here, after the mountains run almost unbroken for 150 miles between central Campania and Lamezia, there is a vast plain spanning less than 20 miles (30km) between the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts.

This area is relatively flat, when compared with the Sila plateau to the north, which rises to almost 6000ft (1830m), and the winds sweep from west to east, across the Mediterranean, and blow through the narrow gap in the mountains.

Here, the wines are made at vineyards which lie just south of Lamezia Terme, a town near the western Calabrian coast, and these wines, made under the Lamezia DOC, are red, white and rose (rosato).

The sea is near and the proximity of the seawaters of Mediterranean is important to the land, helping to temper the heat and reduce it to such a measure to soften the Calabrian climate and make grow vines in an optimal way.

Further, some Lamezia vineyards take advantage of the slightly increased altitude at the edges of the DOC area, where the hillsides between Maiolino extend up into the hills near Falerna.

Conclusively, despite the long history of Lamezia wines, coming, before the Greek era, from a Phoenician root, they remain relatively unknown, a problem from which other Calabria DOCs also suffer. Surely, Lamezia is a DOC, absolutely recognized in Italy since its introduction in December 1978 (a few months before the Melissa DOC), but its export is minimal.

FEATURES

Apart from a “Novello” (a young wine), only available in the category of “rosso” wines (an early-release, early-drinking style similar to that of Beaujolais Nouveau), Lamezia owns a large spectrum of white, red, “rosé” and reserve wines.

Normally, a “Lamezia rosso” is at least two years old before commercial release, and has spent at least six months of that time in barrel.

TABLE OF MAIN LAMEZIA LABELS

  • Lamezia Rosso is an Italian wine, rated DOC and classified as Red wine, since 1978. Alcohol: 12.0%. Color: cherry red more or less intense. Flavor: winey, fruity, dry, well-balanced, harmonic.
  • Lamezia Rosato is an Italian wine rated DOC and classified as Red wine, since 1978. Alcohol: 11.5%. Color: pink more or less intense. Flavor: soft, clear, dry.
  • Lamezia Rosso Reserve is an Italian wine, rated DOC and classified Red wine, since 1978. Alcohol: 12.0%. Color: cherry red more or less intense. Flavor: winey, sometimes fruity, dry, well-balanced, harmonic.
  • Lamezia Novello is an Italian wine, rated DOC and classified as Red wine, since 1978. Alcohol: 12.0%. Color: cherry red more or less intense. Flavor: winey, sometimes fruity, dry, well-balanced, harmonic.
  • Lamezia Bianco is an Italian wine, rated DOC and classified as White wine, since 1978. Alcohol: 11.0%. Color: straw yellow. Flavor: winey, pleasant, clear. Taste: dry, velvety, full. Main Grapes: Greco Bianco 0.0%-50.0%, Malvasia Bianca B. 0.0%-20.0%, Trebbiano Toscano B. 0.0%-40.0%.
  • Lamezia Greco is an Italian wine, rated DOC and classified White wine, since 1978. Alcohol: 11.0%. Color: straw yellow. Flavor: fresh, clear, dry, harmonic. Main Grapes: Greco Bianco 85.0%-100.0%.

Sant’Anna DOC wine of “Isola Capo Rizzuto”

15.3.2021

The place, where this wine, is made is wonderful, the vineyards are very near the very famous castle named “Le Castella”, in front of Ionian Sea, and to the old village of “Isola Capo Rizzuto”. The wine is called “Sant’Anna”.

The DOC of “Sant’Anna di Isola di Capo Rizzuto” is located south of the municipality of Melissa, and the village was once on an island (in Italian “Isola”), but overtime the marshland around it filled in and connected the region to the mainland. Precisely, S.Anna DOC wine of “Isola Capo Rizzuto” is named after the municipality of Sant’Anna, on Calabria’s eastern coastline, but this village is also simply said “Isola Capo Rizzuto”.

The DOC area produces dry red and rosé wines from Gaglioppo, Nocera, Nerello Mascalese (and the related Nerello Cappuccio), and up to 35% of added Malvasia and Greco bianco. Therefore, the wine is made from a mixture of Gaglioppo and many other varieties cultivated on these hills on the Ionian side of Calabria, southeast of Crotone, one of the most important cities of the region.

The DOC title was introduced in January 1979, just a few months prior to its neighbor Melissa, 30 miles (48km) up the Ionian Sea coast to the north. It covers exclusively red (rosso) and rose (rosato) wines made from a combination of indigenous vine varieties; white (bianco) wines from the area are sold under IGT and similar protection titles.

A WINE NEAR TO HISTORY AND MYTH

In recent decades, winemaking has expanded through the application of an economic development plan that originally emphasized small family holdings but now promotes more extensive and rational vineyards.

However, the most fascinating thing is that winemaking in this area has roots both in Greek history and in myth. Indeed, the vines grow in large area near the archaeological site of the single, massive column of the huge “Temple of Hera Lacinia”, which is all that remains of the extremely ancient Greek power of the city of Croton. Near the column were found many coins and the symbol most extensively used on those coins was the tripod of the oracle of Delphi, a reminder of the legendary origins of the area.

The entire site is the glorious land of the home of Pythagoras and Milo.  The winemaking has the same roots in the Greek cult of the goddess, which now survives, in modified form, in the devotion paid to the Black Madonna in ceremonies held each May in the ruins of the ancient temple.

The numerous objects discovered in excavations of ancient Greek ruins of the DOC area can be admired at the city’s “Museo Civico” of Croton, which also has a fine collection of the coins struck by the colony.

Further, in the area of “Isola Capo Rizzuto”, in the middle Ages, the Benedictines founded numerous monasteries, all throughout the territory, and made a considerable contribution to grape growing and winemaking, since all of the institutions had vineyards to supply their own needs in wine.

After century of steady improvement in quality, the wine’s reputation began to spread beyond the immediate area. In addition, its standing was further promoted by some famous figures in history. It is said that, after entering the area with an army, Emperor Frederik Barbarossa found that wine was so plentiful and the food so good, that he remained there for six mouths.

THE LAND OF THE WINE

As afore mentioned, the island in the name “Isola” is something of a misnomer, as the ‘island’ in question is in fact a peninsula: the Capo Rizzuto, which completes the DOC title, is such peninsula.

This kind of peninsula, named as an island, also occupies a special place in Mediterranean geography, not only as one of Italy’s most easterly points, but also because it overlooks the Gulf of Taranto to the north, the Gulf of Squillace to the west, and the Ionian Sea to the east. It is not superfluous to remember that the very beautiful coastline around S.Anna is not only a vital component in the local terroir; it is also a highly successful summer tourist attraction.

This special topography makes that the Mediterranean Sea helps to moderate the intense heat of the south Italian summer, therefore the cooling and heating of the land over the course of a summer day causes morning and afternoon breezes that are channelled by the subtly undulating place.

The continue cooling minimizes the risk of fungal vine diseases, typical of humid climates, and further improves the climate’s suitability for quality viticulture.

FEATURES

S.Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto is one of the coat of arms of Isola di Capo Rizzuto; this key vine variety uses Gaglioppo, which accounts for between 40% and 60% of any blend. This grape, – although it is entirely unrelated to either the Petite Arvine of the Swiss Valais, or the Aglianico which has made its name around Vulture in Basilicata, – is locally known by several synonyms including Arvino and Aglianico.

The other grapes, which are employed in the blend, are any combination of six other ones (four red and two white): Nocera, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Malvasia Nera are the red varieties, Greco Nero and Malvasia Bianca the white varieties.

The presence of white grapes in the blend of Sant’Anna DOC can be surprising. It seems unusual that that a deep, red wine from the south of Italy can be made with a portion of white grapes. Anyway, in winemaking it is common: for example, the robust reds of the northern Rhone valley are often made more alluring with an addition of white grapes (i.e. “Viognier”), sometimes as much as 20%.