'A Vita Calabria "Il Rosso" 2022

Legend holds that wines from DOC Cirò were once served to ancient Olympic champions, but the small Calabrian town is better-known today for its connections to the 'Ndrangheta crime group than for viticulture. 'A Vita, helmed by Calabrian local Francesco de Franco, is one of a small cohort of natural producers working to revive the area’s winemaking traditions. Francesco was inspired after moving north for university, where he met his wife, Laura, a native of Friuli Venezia Giula. The more he learned about natural winemaking, the more he became convinced of its potential to showcase his hometown’s natural terroir. Laura followed him back south, where they purchased four vineyards in Cirò — three in the hillsides and one seaside site near the town’s port. Their proximity to the Mediterranean softens the heat of hot Calabrian summers and provides access to cooling breezes that reduce disease pressure on the vines. The wines beautifully showcase the region’s native Gaglioppo, a pale black