Librandi
Of Italy's main regions, Calabria is perhaps the least well-known. While it demonstrates a propensity for the cultivation of red varietals, its low production levels preclude it from asserting its presence not only on the international scene but within its very homeland as well.
Twelve DOC zones comprise Calabria, yet the Cirņ DOC is essentially the region's sole representative, known primarily through the work of Librandi, a family-owned winery that began bottling wine in the 1950s (following several years of grape growing).
Librandi cultivates eight varietals, according special attention to the ancient Calabrian native Gaglioppo-the Black Prince-which receives exclusive representation in four of the portfolio's bottlings. Although white wines constitute only 9 percent of the region's production, Librandi works with the area's most prolific vine, Greco Bianco (a strain of Greco that the Calabrians claim as their own), and Mantonico, both of which are believed to be of Greek origin.
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