Calabria has one DOCG, Cirò Classico, and ten DOC denominations, two categories of Italian wine appellation. These include Bivongi, Cirò, Greco di Bianco, Lamezia, Melissa, Savuto, Scavigna and Terre di Cosenza. Cirò, Melissa and Scavigna can each appear as white, red or rosé wines. Greco di Bianco is a sweet passito made from dried grapes. It is amber in colour, with a delicate orange-blossom aroma and a soft texture. A regional legend links the vine to Greek landings at Zefirio in the seventh century BC, though the grape is not part of the Greco family. The wine gained DOC recognition in 1980. Savuto is a red made mainly from Gaglioppo. Other permitted grapes include Greco Nero, Nerello Cappuccio, Magliocco and Sangiovese. Vines grow on narrow stone-walled terraces, which make harvesting difficult. Terre di Cosenza, established in 2011, includes seven named subzones, among them Donnici, Pollino and Verbicaro.
4 named areas
Inside the region
Explore the wine-growing areas of Calabria.
- 01Catanzaro & Tyrrhenian CoastNo producers listed yetLamezia and Scavigna are wine areas in this part of Calabria. Scavigna makes white, red and rosé wines.
- 02Cosenza & Northern CalabriaNo producers listed yetTerre di Cosenza and Savuto are wine appellations in northern Calabria. Terre di Cosenza is divided into seven named subzones.
- 03Crotone & Ionian CoastNo producers listed yetCirò, Melissa and S. Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto are wine areas in this part of Calabria. Cirò and Melissa both make white, red and rosé wines.
- 04Reggio Calabria & the ToeNo producers listed yetBivongi and Greco di Bianco are wine areas in southern Calabria. Greco di Bianco is a sweet passito, made from dried grapes, with an amber colour and delicate orange-blossom aroma.