Italian Wine Adventure #7: Cirò! (The wine of the gods, the oldest continually produced wine, a wine for dining Al Fresco, Calabrian Wine, Fun and Festive Red Wine)

Show Notes

Episode 79: Italian Wine Adventure #7: Cirò  00:00

Hello! And welcome to The Wine Pair Podcast. I’m Joe, your sommelier of reasonably priced wine, and this is my wife and my wine pairing partner in crime, Carmela. And we are The Wine Pair! 

Alright, a quick orientation for those of you who may be new to the podcast - in each episode we learn about, taste and give our honest review of three wines that are reasonably priced - meaning under $20 each -  and should be easy for you to find. And, our podcast is made for people who love wine and want to expand their wine horizons and learn a bit more in a fun and unstuffy way. So, if that sounds like you, you are in the right place - and, we invite you to taste a Cirò or some other wine you like along with us while you listen as a fun way to participate in the podcast! And we are proud to say that we are recommended by the editors of Decanter Magazine who call us fun, irreverent, chatty, and entertaining. 

Carmela, today I am very excited because not only are we back after taking a week off, we are going on another Italian Wine Adventure. It has been a while since we have been on one of these episodes, but I got a note from a listener who wanted more, and we are happy to oblige! This time we are traveling to the homeland of my family - both sides of my family, in fact - to the southernmost province of the Italian mainland called Calabria. Calabria is often called the toe of the boot of Italy, but it’s really the toes and and ball of the foot of Italy, where the arch is Basilicata and the heel is Puglia. 

The wine we are tasting today called Cirò is not very well known outside of Italy. And, just for a quick pronunciation lesson, the wine is spelled C I R O, and the O has an accent on it. In Italian, when the letter C is followed by an I or and E, it makes a CH sound like in the English word “check” (and when a word in Italian has a CH that is actually pronounced as a hard C or K, so when you pronounce the word bruschetta as BREW SHETTA, you are pronouncing it wrong). That just happened to us in the last week in Walla Walla, by the way. But back to Cirò, because this short word only has four letters but two syllables, it would normally be pronounce CHEER-roe because the accent would normally be put on the second to last syllable, because there is an accent on the O, it is pronounce chee-ROE, almost like the word Cheetoh. 

It’s a little bit hard to get it right. And, trust me, we will say it wrong throughout this episode. 

Cirò is a red wine considered the flagship wine of Calabria, and it is mostly made from a grape called Gaglioppo, which is another tricky word to pronounce. Spelled G A G L I O P P O, the combination of GLI is hard for English speakers to pronounce because it uses a glottal or back of the throat pronunciation which we really don’t have much of in English. The best way I can explain it for English speakers is that it sort of like saying the word glee, but you let the G get stuck in your throat. If that is too weird for you, just pronounce the GL as a “Y” and let it be. 

The area that Cirò comes from is supposed to be just beautiful. I have never been there, but it is on the very southern coast of Italy in the Ionian sea, between Italy and Greece, and the proximity to the sea is important because this area of Italy gets hot in the summer, and the sea helps to cool things down just a skosh. 

What I love about these episodes, and about wine in Italy in general, is that there are so many different types of wines in Italy, most of which the average person, and even the above average wine drinker will never have heard of. In fact Italy has about 350 different wine varieties. So the fact that we are only on Italian Wine Adventure #7 just means we have barely scratched the surface. And, as an added bonus, this is a wine that Carmela and I are trying for the very first time on this episode! So you get to find out what this wine is like along with us!

So, we are going to learn a little more about Cirò and the specific Cirò wines we are going to drink in this episode, and then we are going to taste and rate these wines . . . 

But first . . . we have to do our shameless plug, right Carmela? First, THANK YOU for listening to us and for supporting our show, and if you have not had the chance to do so yet, now would be the perfect time to subscribe to our podcast  - it’s really easy - all you have to do is hit that little subscribe button  - and a huge thank you to all of you who have subscribed already.

And, another great way to support us for FREE is to leave a rating and review on our website or on Apple Podcasts or other podcast service. And, how about this - take a minute right now to share this episode with someone you think would like it - you can do that right now in whatever app you are using to listen to us. 

You can also follow us onInstagram at thewinepairpodcast, and you visit our website the winepairpodcast.com to leave us a message or grab our show notes. 

And, as we do every week, we’ll tell you someone we think you should tell about The Wine Pair Podcast - and sp when you hear the word CHEERS we want you to tell whoever you are with that they need to listen to our podcast. Again, the word is CHEERS - because it sounds like Cirò. 

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-ciro
• https://visitproseccoitaly.com/guide-to-italian-wine-types/#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%20Italy,its%20own%20exciting%20flavour%20profile. 
• https://dobianchi.com/2011/06/21/ciro-italian-grape-name-and-appellation-pronunciation-project/ 

Topic: WTF is Cirò Wine? 09:06

Cirò wine is typical of many European wines, especially from Italy and France and Spain that are named for the area they come from rather than the grape.

Cirò, as we mentioned, is made from a little known wine grape called Gaglioppo, and for a wine to be called Cirò, it must be from the designated DOC area of Cirò in Southern Italy, and a red wine must be made of at least 80% Gaglioppo, while a white wine from Cirò must be made from 80% Greco Bianco. 

For the red wine, the last 20% have to be from a set of approved grapes, and only 10% of the blend can be from only 10 percent may be Barbera, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and/or Merlot.

Calabria is an old area of Italy, and has been conquered and ruled by lots of different cultures over time. It is thought that the Greeks were likely the ones that brought winemaking as we know it today to Calabria more than 3,000 years ago, and may be the oldest wine in the world still produced today. And, if you look on a map, the area of Calabria where Cirò is very close to Greece, and the link between Greek history and Calabria is strong. 

One legend says that Cirò is the wine the Greek gods would drink during the ancient Olympic games. And the province of Calabria that Cirò is in is called Crotone, which was called Kroton by the Greeks in 710 BC.

This area of Italy is very poor, and is overwhelmingly focused on agriculture and some tourism. Which is why many Italian Americans originated from Calabria, like my family. 

Back to the wine, there are five official designations for Cirò Rosso; Classico, Superiore, Classico Superiore, Riserva, and Classico Riserva. Classico and Classico Superiore are actually regions, and the regions with those names in Italy are considered the most ancient and traditional, and usually best, of the wines. Riserva is used for wines that are supposed to be of higher quality, and are aged longer before they are released. In Cirò, the Riserva wines must be aged for 24 months before release.

Cirò is sometimes described as a powerful red wine, and some even call it the Barolo of Calabria, which may be an overstatement, but we’ll see. Cirò tends to be moderately high in alcohol, with good acidity, and some tannin, and the flavor of the wine is described as earthy with red fruits. Because of where and how they are made, they are also sometimes described as rustic, which I would expect. 

And, like all Italian wines, they are meant to go well with Calabrese cuisine which is known for being spicy - there is a well-known Calabrian chili pepper which is pretty darn hot, and there is a famous spreadable sausage called ‘Nduja which is made from the pepper. I remember my relatives from Calabria coming to the US and bringing those peppers with them! They like their food with some heat! And, I bet these wines will go great with grilled foods. 

By the way, we have links to articles that we have used as references today that give more information on the wine and the food, so head over to our web site, click on this episode, and then click on the show notes to learn more. 

So, today, we have two Classicos, and one Classico Superiore, so that’s a good mix. So, on that note, I think it’s time to learn a little more about the specific wines we are drinking today. Whaddya say?

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.intowine.com/cir%C3%B2-wine-calabria-toe-boot-southern-italy 
• https://www.winetourism.com/wine-region/calabria/ 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Crotone 
• https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/italian-dishes/staples-of-calabrian-cuisine?refresh_ce= 
• https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-are-calabrian-chiles-5088564 

Cirò Wines We Chose for This Episode 16:15

As usual, all of the wines we have chosen for this episode are under $20. However, I will say that Cirò is not the easiest wine to find. I have seen in limited amounts on wine.com, but even at a Total Wine or a BevMo, you are going to have trouble finding it. What you really need to do is either find a wine shop that has a good Italian wine selection, which may mean finding a place in your city that caters to Italians, or you can go to a wine shop and ask them to order them for you. Or, you can look for wine retailers online who will ship to your area.

So, I apologize for having a wine that is not super easy to find in this episode, but I think this is an important wine to know, and one that we are super excited about because of our Italian roots. 

The first wine we are drinking today is called Baroni Capoano Cirò Rosso Classico and it is made from 100% Gaglioppo and is a 2019. On their website, the Baroni Capoano winery says that the Capoano family has been making wine there for over 13 centuries. That’s a long time!

They also say that they are organic, which is not a huge surprise to me in that many of these wineries that have been around for a while or are in more rustic places tend to use traditional methods that have been around for a long time, and don't use modern chemical fertilizers. So, while it may seem modern to be organic, in reality, organic is far more traditional and authentic.

I will also say that finding out a ton about these wines is hard, and they are rarely reviewed by major reviewers, so some of our descriptions will be brief.

The next wine we are drinking comes from what may be the most well-known winemaker in the area called Librandi, and we are drinking the Segno Librandi Rosso Classico and this is also a 2019. This is also the wine that you can find most easily on places like wine.com. The Librandi family has been making wines for four generations, so there is some history there. 

Interestingly, this wine looks like it is aged in stainless steel and then in the bottle, so I am not sure that it will have any oak on it. Because of this, the winery website says that it can be drunk in the first 3-5 years. So, we’ll see just how bold this wine is. On one website, I also saw that this wine should be served just below room temperature, so not quite chilled, but not quite warm either. 

The last wine we are going to drink is from the Scala winery and is called Scala Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore. This is another 2019, and I love the bottle of this wine. It is kind of retro 60’s hip. This is one that I tried to hunt down a bit, too.

This wine, like the others, is 100% Gaglioppo, and because it is a Classico Superiore, it is the most expensive of the bunch, but still under $20. According to the description, the grapes come from a vineyard called “franza,” and the ownership of the land goes back to the 17th century, and was previously cultivated with olive trees and citrus groves, only becoming a vineyard in 1965. The grapes are also organically farmed.

From some information I got online, the property has been in the Scala family for 200 years, was founded as a winery in 1949, and the winery was rebuilt in 2005, and is currently run by Luigi Scala and his son Francesco.

This wine is aged in concrete tanks, and so, again, no oak on the wine. And concrete tanks are supposed to be very neutral in flavor and friendly both economically and for the environment because temperature control is easier. 

But, I think that is enough information - let’s get to drinking! We’ll take a quick break and be right back. And, if you have these wines or similar wines, drink along with us!


ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://barriquesmarket.com/products/baroni-capoano-ciro-rosso-classico
• https://www.capoano.it/azienda-tenuta-dei-baroni-capoano/
• https://www.librandi.it/en/segno-librandi-ciro-rosso
• https://www.grandwinecellar.com/products/librandi-ciro-segno-librandi-rosso-classico-2019?variant=42114634481860 
• https://www.bermansfinewines.com/wines/Scala-Ciro-Rosso-Classico-Superiore-2019-w55748280p 
• https://resalte.com/en/concrete-tanks-for-our-wine/#:~:text=Concrete%20tanks%20does%20not%20add,required%20temperature%20inside%20the%20tank. 
• https://www.championwinecellars.com/products/2018-scala-ciro-rosso-classico 
• https://vosselections.com/product/ciro-rosso-classico-superiore/ 
• https://www.cardsofwine.com/red_ciro.asp 

Cirò Wine Pairing Tasting and Reviews 23:10

Wine: Baroni Capoano Cirò Rosso Classico
Region: Italy, Calabria
Year: 2019
Price: $11.99
Retailer: Esquin Wine Merchants
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Gaglioppo

What we tasted and smelled in this Cirò:

• On the nose: Tart cherry, charcoal, smoky, wood smoke, dirt, a touch of leather
• In the mouth: Tart, soft, cherry, raspberry, cherry tomato, earthiness, good acid, watermelon?

Food to pair with this Cirò: summery wine, could be served chilled, a cookout or picnic wine, crowd pleaser, burgers, panini, spicy salumi, spicy pepperoni pizza, meatball sandwich, smoked cheese.
 
As a reminder on our rating scale, we rate on a scale of 1-10, where 7 and above means that we would buy it, and 4 and below means that we are likely to pour it down the sink, and a 5 or 6 means we are likely to drink it and finish it, but we are probably not going to buy it. 

Rating: 

• Joe: 7/10
• Carmela: 7/10

Wine: Segno Librandi Cirò Rosso Classico
Region: Italy, Calabria
Year: 2019
Price: $14.99
Retailer: Esquin Wine Merchants
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Gaglioppo

What we tasted and smelled in this Cirò:

• On the nose: Very similar to the last wine though richer or deeper, red licorice, cherry, charcoal, touch of leather, more dirt, forest, potpourri
• In the mouth: Mid-palate “pow,” more of a picnic wine, similar to the last wine in flavor, plum, rich red fruit, flame, match, 

Food to pair with this Cirò: More formal, puttanesca, steak, roast, a bit of an autumn wine, beef stew, rabbit stew, wild boar pasta, good with rich and meaty foods, meat-filled ravioli, grilled sausage.

Rating: 

• Joe: 8/10
• Carmela: 8/10

Wine: Scala Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore
Region:  Italy, Calabria
Year: 2019
Price: $18.99
Retailer: Esquin Wine Merchants
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Gaglioppo

What we tasted and smelled in this Cirò:

• On the nose: Asparagus, grilled asparagus, food garden, tomato leaf, smoke, earth
• In the mouth: Tart, tannic, acidic, watermelon rind, green vegetables, grilled asparagus, bad wine?!?

Food to pair with this Cirò: Steak, burger, sandwich. 


Rating: 

• Joe: 5/10
• Carmela: 5/10

Which one of these are you finishing tonight?

• Carmela: Segno Librandi Cirò Rosso Classico
• Joe: Segno Librandi Cirò Rosso Classico

Taste profiles expected from Cirò   41:44

• General
  • Cards of Wine: Cherry, raspberry, red currant, roses, earth, olive, herbs. If oaked, coffee, spices, tobacco, leather. 
• Baroni Capoano Cirò Rosso Classico
  • Barriques Market (online): Aromas of black cherry, red plum, red currants, green herbs, sage, green peppercorns and black olive. Bold mouth feel, deep earthy red berry fruits, spice and dry tannins. 
  • Mad Wine / Esquin: Silky textured wine with blue and black fruits, it has notes of black olives and Mediterranean herbs, seamless structure. Medium bodied and complex, a true southern Italian wine from the wind and the sea.
• Segno Librandi Rosso Classico
  • Bottle of Italy (rough translation): The sense of smell is literally captivated by the enchanting fusion of red berried fruit aromas, including cherry and raspberry, and floral notes of violet and red flowers. One drink good body, with good sapidity and pleasant freshness.
  • Alko: Luscious and jammy reds are medium-bodied, full-bodied or very full-bodied wines that combine ripe berry notes and pronounced jammy flavours. You can discern notes of cherry jam, wild berry jam or dark plum in these wines. Ripe tannins add the necessary structure for pairing the wines with food.
  • Grand Wine Cellars: Aromas of red fruits and spice complement undertones of cranberries, wild berries, and plums. On the palate, ripe tannins and substantial body make for an incredibly rich, yet easygoing red wine.
• Scala Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore
  • Bermans: we were charmed and seduced by its unique, smoky amaro and camphor-inflected red and black fruit flavors. the wine is concentrated with flavors of blackberry and blueberry plum, cherry and herbal spice, with a distinctive purple flower overtone. ripe tannins and distinctive, full flavors make this hearty yet easy-to-drink red taste far more expensive than one might expect from the modest price.
  • Esquin: This wine is soft and silky. Aromas of fresh berries and the forest floor on a summer day lead into a mouthful of ripe raspberries, strawberry jam, and a hint of earthiness

Outro and how to find The Wine Pair Podcast 44:36

Ok, so, Carmela, it is just about time for us to go, but before we do, we want to thank you very much for listening to us - AND if you haven’t done so yet, now would be the perfect time to subscribe to our podcast AND also a fantastic time to leave us a nice rating and review on our website or Apple podcasts or other podcast service - and it is an awesome and free way to support us and help us grow listeners.

We would also love to hear from you about a wine you would like us to taste and review. You can, leave a message for us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com, or you can just email us at joe@thewinepairpodcast.com and tell us about a wine you are curious about, or curious what we think of it. And, follow us on Instagram so you can see pictures of all of these wines we are tasting and reviewing. 

And, next time you listen to an episode, drink along with us and see if you are tasting and experiencing the same things we are - it’s like a date night! And if you do that, we’d love to hear what you think!

Alright, with that, we are going to sign off, so thanks again, and we will see you next time. And, as we say, life is short, so stop drinking shitty wine.