The Red Wines of Calabria: Fruity, Funky, and Fabulously Affordable

This month I've been getting to know the red wines of Calabria--and they've surprised me. When I mentioned Calabrian wine to most people--even Calabrians!--they scoffed at the quality of wine produced in this region of Italy. But I liked the rusty funkiness, the fruitiness, and the great value that I found in the wines I tasted. And though these wines came from southern Italy, they reminded me of French wines from Burgundy and the Beaujolais.

Take the 2004 Vintripodi Arghillà ($19.99, Wine Expo) This wine, a blend of Nerello Calabrese and Alicante, has the certain funky pungency that is characteristic in my (limited) experience of Nerello, and reminds me of a good Beaujolais. The wine showed some tawny edges around the dark purple juice at the center of my glass. The aromas were of sour cherry, earth, and funk and the flavors followed suit. This was certainly not a boring, same-old red and I think it would go just as brilliantly with stews as it did with our pasta dinner.

The other Calabrian wine I tried was the 2006 Ippolito Cirò Liber Pater ($17.99, Wine Expo; available elsewhere for $17). Made with a native Calabrian grape called Gaglioppo, I wasn't familiar enough with the variety to know what to expect. What I discovered was a wine that was nicely poised between a Pinot Noir and a Nebbiolo in terms of flavor and style. There were minty, brandied, and currant aromas. Following up were leather, plum, and currant flavors with a long, savory finish with notes of soy sauce. The juxtaposition of the berried, herbal aromas and the savory qualities of the flavors was intriguing and made this wine memorable.

Some may raise their eyebrows at Calabrian wine, but you won't catch me doing it. Give a Calabrian wine a try. They were a delightful surprise as I wrap up my journey through Italian wines. All that's left is Emilia-Romagna--and we'll head there in November.

Exploring Calabria in October

I'm a little behind in my announcement, but this month I'll be exploring Calabria as the penultimate destination in my two-year trawl through the wine regions of Italy. (photo of Calabria by Mikuzz)

Calabria is the toe of Italy's boot--and to me it always looks like Calabria is preparing to kick Sicily straight up into Spain. As a southern Italian region, Calabria is home to rustic red wines, many of them made with the native Gaglioppo grape.

They've been making wine here since at least the days of Ancient Greece, and while we may not be familiar with the wines of the region today, they were quite popular in ancient times. The Roman writer Pliny the Elder considered Calabrian wines to be of high quality, and earlier the Greek athlete Milo of Croton--a Calabrian native--boasted that he drank over two gallons of wine from Ciró every day. The tradition of athletes and Ciró wines was not limited to Milo of Croton. Legend has it that winners at the early Olympics were offered this Calabrian wine to celebrate their victories. (another great photo by Mikuzz)

With over 90% of the wine produced in Calabria falling into the category of red wine, I wasn't able to find a white example to taste this month. However, I will be reporting my tasting notes on two under $20 red wines. I'm looking forward to getting a better sense of what Calabrian wines are all about. I have reviewed one Calabrian red--a Gaglioppo from Ciró--on GWU$20, and I enjoyed its rustic, traditional character very much. But I'll be interested so see if that wine was representative, and how the other bottlings stack up against it. (photo of Gaglioppo from VinoFamily)

Have you experienced Calabrian wine? And do you have any specific tips or recommendations to share about the wines of this region? Has anyone out there had a Calabrian white, and if so did you drink it in Italy, or find it over here in the US?

Thoughts on Turning 100: There Are a Lot More Grapes Out There

I'm on the road on a business trip, and a friend offered to make me dinner last night. For those of you who travel as part of work, you know that this is like receiving manna from heaven. A night in someone's house, with fresh hot food, and lots of conversation--who could ask anything more, after an endless succession of Starbucks, uninspiring breakfast buffets, and room-service Caesar salads.

I went into a local wine store here in beautiful downtown New Haven (The Wine Thief, for those of you who know the place), talked to an extremely helpful person in the store, and ended up with an Italian wine to go with dinner that was made with a variety I've never had. (Of course, it cost $20. I may be on the road, but I haven't lost my center of gravity!)

The subtext for my purchase was this: I finally made it into the Wine Century Club, and there are still more grape varieties out there waiting to be discovered.

The wine we had was a 2003 Librando Duca Sanfelice Riserva, and it was made with Gaglioppo grapes from Calabria. You might be able to find this wine near you for between $15 and $18. It was a kind of brickish garnet in color, and paler in color than many of the Italian reds that you might be familiar with. It smelled like cherries and truffles (which was excellent, since we were eating risotto with saffron and morel mushrooms) and had a medium, dry body. There were whiffs of tobacco leaf in the aftertaste, which persisted until you took the next sip. The wine was a bit old fashioned, elegant, and streamlined, like an Italian countess of a certain age, and it was terrific with food.

This got me thinking about my experiences in the Wine Century Club, of which I am an official new member. First, I think that trying to reach 100 varieties made me fully realize what a wide range of flavors and textures there are in the wine world, and how easy it is to get into a rut where you only have your tried-and-true favorites. There's nothing wrong with favorites, of course--they're your old friends, and for good reason since they're trusty, faithful, and comfortable. But sometimes something new is just right.

Second, when you try a new variety like Gaglioppo, you can't help but make comparisons between it and other, more familiar grapes. As I sipped my Gaglioppo I wondered how I would describe it. Is it like Pinot? Like Pinot with a dash of Sangiovese? What about those truffle notes? These comparisons are helpful, but ultimately you end up realizing that Gaglioppo is just exactly like Gaglioppo. Nothing else is quite the same. If you like Pinot or Sangiovese, however, I think you should try Gaglioppo at the first opportunity because you will probably love it.

Finally, I don't think I would have chosen the Gaglioppo over the more familiar Chiantis at the wine store if not for my experiences with the Wine Century Club. I am a greater risk taker when it comes to my wine choices. And that's a good thing. A little bit of risk every now and then keeps life interesting, and keeps your wine knowledge and appreciation growing.

After 101 varieties, I am reminded once again that one of the reasons I love wine is that there is always more to know.