The sun beats down like a red-hot hammer. The cicadas are deafening with their frenzied song. There is a land between the two seas that immediately evokes the image of the sweltering South. But there is also a Calabria that continues to surprise those who observe it closely. Not the Calabria of blue Mediterranean postcards or the clichés of a distracted and indifferent South. But the Calabria of vineyards climbing the Sila mountains, of breezes sweeping through Cirò, of terraces overlooking the Ionian Sea, and of small plots reclaimed from neglect. It is a Calabria where wine is changing its face and where, more and more often, that change bears the signature of a woman.
Among the wineries in the Calabrian delegation of the Italian Federation of Independent Winemakers, a female presence is indeed emerging. And it is not merely a matter of token representation. These are women producers who run wineries, tend the vineyards, manage communications, exports, and hospitality, and—above all—interpret an ancient winemaking heritage with a modern perspective. This is not a revolution devised at a desk, but a generational shift whose special ingredient is the surprising naturalness with which it unfolds.
This is perhaps the most interesting snapshot of contemporary Calabrian viticulture. Alongside historic and long-established wineries, most of these estates have been founded in recent decades. This relative youth is also reflected in their image: well-designed labels, contemporary packaging, and straightforward yet effective communication—all without ever losing their connection to the land. A language capable of resonating even with younger consumers, demonstrating that immediacy and identity can coexist.
Thus, the stories gathered from FIVI producers seem to follow a common thread. They almost never start from scratch.
They inherit a vineyard from their grandfather, an old family winery, or land that has lain fallow for years. Then a new generation arrives, deciding to invest, study, travel, and return, transforming that legacy into a project.
This is the case with Tenute Pacelli, where the family’s history spans over a century of transformations. From silkworm farming to wheat fields, and finally to the birth of the modern winery, the family has successfully reinterpreted its noble heritage. Today, it is primarily Carla and Laura Pacelli who are giving the project an international flair, combining winemaking with a vision focused on communication, hospitality, and wine tourism. The restoration of the family castle and the plan to build a relais embody the idea of wine as an experience, a cultural expression, and a warm welcome.
Discovering these stories becomes a wine journey that spans the entire region. A little further south, in the heart of the Cirò DOC, Assunta Dell’Aquila reveals another side of Calabria. Hers is a daily practice of viticulture, shared with her brother Salvatore, where there are no gender-based roles but rather shared responsibilities. Their stories perfectly convey a sense of belonging to a complex territory, where every producer grows alongside the others. Gaglioppo, one of the oenological symbols of this land, thus becomes much more than a grape variety: it is memory, identity, and the story of a community that continues to believe in its roots.
And it is precisely this heritage of grape varieties that is one of the most fascinating aspects of Calabria’s wine culture.
A region that holds a wealth of diversity often little known even to wine enthusiasts. While Gaglioppo remains the symbol of Cirò, alongside it are Magliocco, Magliocco Canino, Calabrese Nero, Nocera, Pecorello, Greco Bianco di Bianco, Mantonico, and numerous other varieties that reflect territories very different from one another.
On the Costa dei Gelsomini, in fact, the Baccellieri winery has built its identity precisely on the restoration of old vineyards, some of which are still ungrafted. Here, Greco di Bianco DOC continues to represent one of the most prized expressions of Italian winemaking. The rare passito, produced by only a handful of winemakers, remains one of the region’s iconic wines, preserving intact a tradition that traces its roots back to Magna Graecia.
The challenge taken on by Paola Granata in the heart of the Sila is yet another story. Her vineyards, at Difesa Vaccarizzo Granata, extend to an altitude of nearly 1,300 meters—heights that were unthinkable for Calabrian viticulture just a few years ago. Here, climate change, agronomic research, and entrepreneurial courage converge to give rise to a “heroic” form of viticulture that emphasizes elegance, freshness, and crisp acidity. Her granddaughter, Maria Francesca, is already involved in this project—further confirmation of a generational transition that continues to be led by women.
The restoration of biodiversity is also central to the work of Casa Comerci, which is dedicated to promoting the “Magliocco Canino” grape variety. It was Domenico Silipo, in the early 1900s, who revived the ancient grapevines of his grandmother Rosina Comerci, and it was he who breathed new life into the winery. The philosophy is one of active restoration: not merely a celebration of the past, but the preservation and promotion of ancient and native grape varieties. At the heart of this project in contemporary viticultural archaeology lies the Magliocco Canino, a proud grape variety with great character, capable of expressing the local terroir.
Roughly contemporary (1898) is the history of the Nesci di Palizzi Farm in the province of Reggio Calabria, where Alberta took up the family torch passed down to her by Prof. Francesco Saverio Nesci, expanding production and promoting native grape varieties such as Pecorello, Mantonico, Nocera, and Calabrese Nero. Even the labels serve as a tribute to the past, inspired by drawings found in the family library: each label is now associated with the name of a family member or simply a made-up name.
There are also those who choose to bring nearly forgotten varieties back into the spotlight.
At the Cervinago winery, on the hills overlooking the Sibari Plain, Vincenza and Agostino Cerchiara are working to restore dignity to the “Lacrima di Cassano,” an ancient local grape variety long penalized for its late ripening. This choice perfectly encapsulates the philosophy of many Calabrian winemakers: to reclaim what the market had set aside, transforming it today into a distinctive feature.
Finally, there are also those who prove that “small is beautiful.” In Rovito, in the Cosenza area, Tenuta del Travale spans just 2 hectares. There, in the Sila woods at an altitude of over 500 meters, they cultivate Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. The estate is led by Nicola Piluso and Raffaella Ciardullo, along with their daughters Carlotta and Matilde Piluso—the latter recently named among Forbes Italia’s 100 young talents under 30 in the retail & e-commerce category. Their labels pay homage to Abbot Gioacchino da Fiore and the history of Magna Graecia. Eleuteria, in particular, features a Latin phrase on its label—one that changes with each vintage—intended as a message sharing not only the company’s philosophy but also its philosophy of life. It is the story of a cultural quest, to which the wines bear the name and bear witness: Eleuteria, Esmén tetra, Epicarma.
Concluding this fascinating overview reveals a common thread: Calabria’s wine industry does not chase external models. Instead, it forges an original identity, rooted in the extraordinary variety of its landscapes. Within just a few dozen kilometers, the terrain shifts from vineyards overlooking the sea to clay-rich hills, all the way to mountain vineyards. The soils change, the winds change, the temperature ranges change—and with them, the wines change profoundly as well. Perhaps this is precisely the lesson that comes from Calabria’s FIVI producers: innovation does not mean breaking with the past, but finding a new language to tell its story.
The result is a portrait of a Calabria that asks for neither shortcuts nor leniency. It simply asks to be understood through its wines and the people who produce them. And, listening to these women’s stories, it’s natural to think that the future of Calabrian viticulture has already begun—moving forward with determination yet never losing touch with the land from which it all originated.