{"id":5183,"date":"2020-07-18T12:35:55","date_gmt":"2020-07-18T10:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vinhood.com\/uncategorized\/a-spasso-per-la-calabria-con-il-barone-macri-tra-curiosita-storia-piatti-tipici-e-vitigni-da-scoprire\/"},"modified":"2023-04-28T14:29:30","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T12:29:30","slug":"a-spasso-per-la-calabria-con-il-barone-macri-tra-curiosita-storia-piatti-tipici-e-vitigni-da-scoprire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vinhood.com\/en\/magazine-en\/a-spasso-per-la-calabria-con-il-barone-macri-tra-curiosita-storia-piatti-tipici-e-vitigni-da-scoprire\/","title":{"rendered":"A trip through Calabria with Barone Macr\u00ec: interesting facts, history, typical dishes and grape varieties for you to discover"},"content":{"rendered":"

This will be the year when Italians have an overwhelmingly healthy desire to rediscover their country, but <\/span>Calabria<\/b> is increasingly becoming one of their chosen holiday destinations like never before.<\/span><\/p>\n

And how can you blame them?<\/span><\/p>\n

A warm, blazing hot, at times mysterious region, alternating Caribbean beaches with towns perched on sheer cliffs overlooking the sea.<\/span><\/p>\n

You simply have to come to discover this region, its <\/span>wines from native varieties<\/b> and its typical dishes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leading us on this journey to explore the tastes of Calabria is a noteworthy guide: the<\/span> Barone Macr\u00ec farmhouse.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

It is not just a winery nestled in the province of Reggio Calabria, but rather a little corner of paradise on the Ionian Sea, where they make cheeses, oil, honey and bergamot on over 500 fully organic hectares of land.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, you should know that Calabria is the region with the highest number of organic vineyards in Italy and the third region in the EU for organic farmland!<\/span><\/p>\n

SIGNS OF THE HISTORY OF WINE-GROWING IN CALABRIA<\/b><\/h2>\n

The history of wine and vines in Calabria has deep roots in the ancient past, the Magna Grecia coastal areas, when Greek colonists moved from their homeland to settle along the Italian coastline and brought vines with them, a gift from Dionysus, and their noble fruits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gaglioppo<\/b>, one of the most iconic varieties of Calabrian wine-growing, dates back to the 8th century BC and was imported by the Greeks along the Ionian coastline.<\/span><\/p>\n

This area was so famous at the time that it was called <\/span>Enotria<\/b>, the land of wine.<\/span><\/p>\n

But that is not all, the wines they made in this region were so fine that they were used as the official drink during the Athens Olympics. It was a sort of ancient example of sponsorship in sports.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet neither ancient origins nor a thriving wine market, which was heavily promoted by the ancient Greeks, could keep interested up for wine and wine-making, so over time, many native grape varieties were lost.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, they are now making a glorious comeback.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CALABRIA\u2019S NATIVE GRAPE VARIETIES<\/b><\/h2>\n

There are so many native Calabrian grape varieties and many of them have very special names, which really entice you to try them.<\/span><\/p>\n

We will mention the most used ones and which #Characters to expect from the wines we recommend you try, particularly if you are on holiday in the area.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"vini<\/span><\/p>\n

White grape varieties<\/b><\/h4>\n

Mantonico<\/b> (#Charming, #Profound): this variety was seemingly being grown in Calabria as far back as the Greek colonization in the 7th century BC. Its name most likely comes from the Greek \u201c<\/span>Mantonikos<\/span><\/i>\u201d, a wine that seems to have been used by the priests of ancient Locri Epizefiri and by soothsayers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greco Bianco<\/b> (#Charming): the name makes you think of its undoubtedly Greek origin, but in any case, it is one of the most used grape varieties for Calabrian whites and is found in many DOC wines, including Cir\u00f2.<\/span><\/p>\n

Guardavalle<\/b> (#Charming): this native Calabrian variety is particularly widespread on the Ionian side.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pecorello<\/b> (#Outgoing, #Charming): this native Calabrian variety is particularly widespread on the Ionian side but not to be confused with Pecorino, a variety from central Italy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Red grape varieties<\/b><\/h4>\n

Magliocco Canino<\/b> (#Sensual): this variety belongs to the huge family of Magliocco grapes typical of Calabrian wine-growing, where it stands out with its enormous wine-making potential. The origin behind its name is unknown but perhaps comes from the fact that the bunches of grapes are small as a fist or mallet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gaglioppo<\/b> (from #Sage wines): this native Calabrian red grape variety is probably Greek in origin and primarily found in the region\u2019s coastal areas. Gaglioppo is the most common variety in Calabria and we find it in all the region\u2019s DOC red wines, in particular, red Cir\u00f2.<\/span><\/p>\n

Castiglione<\/b> (#Magnetic): this exclusively native Calabrian variety is found in the provinces of Cosenza and Reggio Calabria. It is also known as Zucchero e Cannella or Zagarolese. It is mainly grown in the south of Calabria on the coastal hillside.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greco Nero<\/b> (#Sensual): this variety is a key part of Calabrian tradition and has always been grown in this region, particularly in the provinces of Catanzaro and Crotone. In the DOC Bivongi area, its name in dialect is Magliaccione or Greco Niuru. It is normally blended.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nerello<\/b> (#Magnetic): Primarily grown in the region called \u201cLocride\u201d, this variety has many names (for example, Carbonaru, Paesano and Nostrale). In some areas of Calabria, the name Nerello is also used for Sangiovese.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marsigliana Nera<\/b> (#Laidback): This variety is found in the provinces of Catanzaro and Cosenza, particularly on the Tyrrhenian side, around the municipalities of Lamezia Terme, Pianopoli and San Pietro a Maida. A high percentage of it is used in PDO Lamezia.<\/span><\/p>\n

TASTING AT BARONE MACR\u00cc<\/b><\/h2>\n

Following a chat with the Barone Macr\u00ec farmhouse on Facebook live in May, we got the chance to try many of their wines, which really give you a great taste for Calabria given that they only use native grape varieties. We will tell you about them and add a little recommendation for food pairings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"vini<\/p>\n