Calabria Bottled: Discovering the Wine of Champions
A few years ago, my ancestral homeland of Calabria was named “Italy’s most delicious secret” by Traveler Magazine, and this year, for the first time, the Association of Italian Sommelier’s Guida Vitae 2022 named one our wines, Librandi’s Megonio IGP, “The Best Italian Wine” for 2022. While it might sound strange to many, this title means as much to me, and to Calabria itself, as it does to the producers who created it.
In order to understand the depth of emotion behind this statement, one must first understand the ancient roots of wine cultivation in Calabria. This ancient region was originally inhabited by the people whom the Greeks called Oenotri or “The Wine Cultivators,” and another group, the Itali,whose name eventually named Italy itself. The wine from the same soil that Librandi wine operates from has a story that goes back millennia, and it was their wines that were served to the champions of the Olympic games in ancient Greece.
At Librandi Winery
In modern times, the wines of the Italian South are just beginning to be appreciated with the same reverence that the ancient Greeks had for them. Since the 1950’s, the Librandi family has dedicated themselves to producing the best quality wine that the region has to offer. Dr. Nicodemo Librandi, whom I had the pleasure of visiting on several occasions and formally interviewing in this clip years ago, has passionately spent his career researching and preserving ancient indigenous varietals that would have otherwise been lost. In addition to the many accolades that Nicodemo, his family, and the winery have accumulated over the years, the agricultural masterpieces of biodiversity that they are guaranteeing, and the economic growth that they are providing to our region, the Librandi family have consistently provided a tangible piece of Calabria that could be enjoyed all over the world. What matters most to me, however, was the sense of pride, place, and purpose that holding a bottle of their wine provided me and many others.
With Dr. Nicodemo Librandi
When I was growing up in New York State, a Calabrian-American, there were no other items that I could hold, or purchase, which told the story of my ethnic origins. Despite the fact that ¼ of Italian-Americans have Calabrian roots, most people (including the Italian-Americans) knew nothing about Calabria. Thanks to Librandi’s success, their wines were widely distributed in the US and abroad. With a bottle of Cirò Rosso in my hand, I could easily begin a conversation about the splendors of Calabria with my friends, my colleagues, and the public.
The Librandi Winery enabled me to share the beauty, richness, and depth of Calabria that wasn’t portrayed in media, films, or literature. A sip of their wine told the story of our Greek roots, our Byzantine name, deep history of viticulture, and modern technological and business savvy which put the wine both on the market and the modern map. Best of all, to me, the wine brought me back to a place that was home in all senses of the word. Driving south in Italy from Rome, we have to pass through Cirò Marina, where the Librandi Winery is located to get to the nearby city of Crotone (Kroton in ancient times) where my parents’ family hails from in order to visit relatives.
After hours of driving through the mountains, arriving in Cirò meant seeing the Ionian Sea, smelling the same air that my family does and ancestors did, and retracing the steps that my Great-Grandfather never got to return to. Each time I visit the Librandi Winery, I’m reminded of all of those things while feeling an enormous sense of pride and nostalgia simultaneously. Their winery represents the eno-gastronomic bridge that has been connecting my family for a century both in the US and Italy. When I first sat down with Dr. Nicodemo Librandi to interview him about the winery’s history, he joked with me and said to me in Italian; “I’ve been all over the world promoting my wine, and I don’t speak a word of English.” We laughed, but I very quickly replied, “You don’t need to, this wine speaks for itself.” I’m a very emotional person, and in lieu of a formal wine education (which I must admit has grown quite a bit since I started surrounding myself by Italian Sommeliers) I believed Librandi wines to the best because they were the most meaningful to me.
When Nicodemo, his son Paolo, and daughter-in-law Katrin began to educate me on their wines, however, it became clear that they had much more to offer than my family favorites of Cirò Rosso, Duca San Felice, and the award-winning Gravello (all derived from indigenous Gaglioppo grapes) which have been widely available in the US for some time now. I learned about each of the varieties that the Librandi family risked time, land, and money to harvest.
Megonio, the wine named the best in 2022 comes from Magliocco grapes, a historical Calabrian variety that is cultivated in the valleys. It’s a highly structured red wine that represents the best of the essence of our land itself. In 2019, just before the lockdown, Paolo was in Washington, DC conducting wine events (click here to see the video), and he shared with me that the name Megonio, comes from the Roman centurion of the same name who lived in our lands in the second century CE and which was the first to leave written traces of our viticulture.
A 2019 Calabrian trip enabled me to tour the varietal vineyard where experimental growing occurs and enjoy learning about the production process with Paolo while sampling each and every wine with his wife Katrin. At the time, we were planning to conduct Calabrian Cuisine, Culture, and Wine tours together, since Katrin also offers her own culinary tours. She also took us to their gorgeous wine museum which transports visitors through the history of world viticulture.
Watch my Instagram Live podcast with Paolo and Katrin here. Embarking on a journey into the world of Calabrian wines is to set out upon a journey of the region and its’ people alike. The ancient Greek philosopher and Mathematician, Pythagoras, who lived and taught in Calabria said that “friends are companions on the journey of life.” I am fortunate to consider the Librandi family cherished friends, and proud that their wines, among which we can now call the best in Italy, are available to accompany us on a delicious journey. May the fragrant breeze of their sweet-smelling grapes lead the wines of Calabria to continued success. If you are interested in learning more about Calabrian Cuisine and Culture, join my Facebook group here.