Calabria, once called “Enotria” (land of wine), is not the most known among the Italian regions for its wine production and is still a feature of the Calabrian wine to have a very local dimension: “every family has its own wine”, generally produced with traditional criteria. The rural culture of this region has managed to accumulate over the centuries, a huge wealth of knowledge, with obvious consequences in various combinations of grape varieties, wine making techniques and environments. A tour of Calabria to discover wines unknown to the big market and their tenacious producers, can take the form of an immersion in past dimensions, such as “lost time”, which seems here still has deep roots. Unexpected surprising!
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Destination
1
Arrival and visit of Cosenza
- Arrival at Lamezia Terme’s airport
- Drive by bus to Cosenza.
- Visit of Cosenza with the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the church of St. Francis of Assisi and the Castello Svevo.
- Dinner and overnight at the hotel (3 times in the same hotel in Cosenza area)
2
Northern Calabria, Altomonte, the Pollino wine and Morano Calabro
- Journey to Altomonte and visit of the Gothic church of Our Lady of Consolation
- Visit a winery and tasting of Pollino wines during lunch with typical products
- In the afternoon visit of Morano Calabro on the edge of the Pollino mountains, with the picturesque old town and the museum of agriculture and dairy production
- Return to Cosenza, dinner at the hotel
3
Sibari, liquorice and Rossano Calabro
- Visit of the archaeological site of Sybaris
- Visit a licorice factory with tasting of local products
- Visit of Rossano Calabro, with its Byzantine church of S. Marco, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Diocesan Museum and the church of Panagia
- Back in Cosenza and dinner at the hotel
4
Central Calabria, the Sila with Santa Severina, the Cirò wine and Le Castella
- Journey through the mountains of Sila to the picturesque Santa Severina
- Visit the old town with its Baptistery, the Addolorata Church, the Church of Santa Filomena and the castle
- Lunch at one of the Cirò wine cellar and wine tasting
- drive to the Le Castella along the Ionian coast and visit of the aragonese Castle on the sea
- Dinner in a hotel in Le Castella (1 overnight)
5
Pizzo, Tropea, Lamezia
- Visit of a winery which produces the Lamezia DOC wine with a fabulous view of both coast’s sides, the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian
- Stop in Pizzo Calabro for a tasting of the famous ice cream truffles
- Drive to to Tropea, the most famous tourist resorts in Calabria
- Through the Serre reach Roccella Jonica for dinner and overnight (3 times in the same hotel)
6
Bivongi, Stilo, Serra San Bruno
- Visit, outside Bivongi, of the church of San Giovanni Theristis
- Visit of a winery and tasting of the Bivongi DOC wine
- Visit of the famous Byzantine church called “La Cattolica”, in Stilo
- In the afternoon we reach Serra San Bruno to visit the Carthusian monastery founded by St. Bruno of Cologne
- Drive back to Roccella and dinner at the hotel
7
The bergamot, the dessert wine, Gerace and the ghost village of Pentadattilo
- Visit of a farm and tasting of local products made from bergamot
- Visit of Gerace with the castle, the stunning cathedral and the church of San Francesco.
- Visit of a winery and tasting of the famous dessert wine Greco di Bianco
- afternoon visit of the ghost village Pentedattilo
- Drive back to Roccella and dinner at the hotel
8
Departure
Transfer to the airport of Lamezia Terme and departure