Region | Calabria (Italia) |
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Foundation Year | 2008 |
Vineyard hectares | 6.5 |
Annual production | 25.000 bt |
Address | 'A Vita, SP3, 17 - 88811 Cirò Marina (KR) |
Oenologist | Francesco De Franco |
'A Vita is an estate with a strong territorial character. The choice of the name, which means vine in Calabrian, highlights the deep connection with tradition and local farming culture. The winery was born out of the passion for viticulture of Francesco and Laura, who decided to devote themselves to a project that would bring out the potential of these magnificent lands, through quality wines made with a craftsman's spirit and full respect for the environment. The estate is located in Cirò marina, north of Crotone, in the first hinterland of the Calabrian coast, overlooking the Ionian Sea and facing the island of Corfu and the Greek coast of Igoumenitsa.
They were in the land once known as Enotria, which included Calabria, Basilicata and Campania. Already before the Greek colonisation of the 8th century BC, the ancient local populations were familiar with the domestication of the grapevine, which was part of the local wild flora. The Greeks founded numerous cities along the coast including Kroton (Crotone), Sybaris (Sibari) and Krimisa (Cirò) also introducing the culture of viticulture, with the conduction of sapling plants and the first rudimentary techniques of grape vinification. Soon the area became famous for wine production and Krimisa in particular was considered among the best ever, so much so that it is said to have been the wine drunk during the Olympics, one of the most important events in Hellenic culture, handed down through the millennia to the present day.
The 'A Vita winery has decided to restore lustre to this glorious past of Calabrian wine and now runs an estate with a total area of eight hectares, divided into several carefully selected plots. The vineyards are located in the strip of hilly land between the coast of the Ionian Sea and the first hills rising towards Sila. From an agronomic point of view, the winery has chosen to embrace the principles of organic farming, using only sulphur and copper for treatments, in order to preserve the environment and the rich natural biodiversity. The choice of vines has favoured the varieties historically present in the area, particularly the indigenous ones: Gaglioppo, Magliocco, Mantonico and Greco, true ambassadors of Calabrian viticulture. Even in the cellar, the work is very simple, with spontaneous fermentation, the use of indigenous yeasts and a low use of sulphur dioxide. The result is a range of genuine wines that express the authentic face of the Cirò land.
"Capitanare un cambiamento così radicale in una terra non semplice è un merito che da solo vale questo riconoscimento"
Guida Slowine 2023