‘A Vita (meaning "The Vine" in local dialect) is a 7-hectare certified organic estate in Cirò, Calabria, run by husband and wife team Francesco de Franco (native to Calabria) and Laura Violino (native to Friuli).   Cirò is located on the arch of Italy’s boot tip, nestled between the Ionian sea and Sila mountains; this situation ensures both coastal influence and dramatic diurnal shifts.   This is a remote, underdeveloped part of Italy.  Though the local grape varieties were selected over millennia for their suitability in this arid climate, one hopes for some water reserves from winter rains.  The vineyards are certified organic, and no fertilizer is used.  Instead they plant cover crops, and are careful to not work the soil much, so as to favor natural biodiversity and increase water retention.   Yields are automatically low, 25-40 ha/hl; naturally, no green harvest is necessary.   In the cellar, there is zero technological input: the wines are fermented spontaneously without temperature control, decanted naturally, and are never rushed.  Sometimes a wide filtration is used and a small amount of sulfur is used at bottling.  The wines are often aged in bottle for an extended time before release.

Cirò wine can be traced back to antiquity, when it was allegedly served to the winners at the ancient Olympics, but only the truly dedicated have committed to recapturing its ancient glory.  When Francesco and Laura released their first vintage in 2008, there were only 15 producers of Cirò DOC.  Dominating the denomination then and now is one producer, Librandi, who produces over 200,000 cases per year.  By contrast, Francesco & Laura make only 2000 cases total in a productive year.  'A Vita was a catalyst in a movement now known as "Cirò Revolution," which encouraged grape growers to stop selling their fruit to the co-ops or Librandi.  Today the Cirò appellation boasts 60 producers.   As one of the first independent producers to emerge on the new Cirò scene, and after nearly twenty years of observation and adaptation, we can proudly represent 'A Vita as a modern-day benchmark.

To view their website click here.

 For a nicely produced video (in Italian) click here.